Organisation of Undergraduate Teaching

1. INTRODUCTION

This document presents a concise overview of the organisation of undergraduate teaching in the Engineering Department. Many of the documents associated with the Undergraduate Teaching Programme are available from the Undergraduate Teaching Homepage at: http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/teaching/

The administration of undergraduate teaching is the responsibility of the Teaching Office under the Deputy Head of Department (Teaching), Dr Simon Guest. He is assisted by the Director of Undergraduate Education, Dr Hugh Shercliff, the Assistant Secretary of Department (Teaching), Madeline McKerchar (who also acts as the Secretary of the Teaching, Coursework and Examinations Committee and the Faculty Board of Engineering), Stephanie Kiszka (Administrator for Examinations, Faculty Board and Room bookings), the Senior Administrator, Mary Wilby, and her assistant, Tricia Cooper.

Parts I and II of the Engineering Tripos are run by the Teaching Committee, which reports directly to the Faculty Board. This committee is also responsible for running the Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET). The detailed content of lecture courses is decided by subject groups each of which has a representative on the Teaching Committee - usually its chairman, who is elected annually. The Teaching Committee has 15 members, all of whom are ex-officio, and is chaired by the Head of Department. Experimental work and other activities such as exposition are the responsibility of the Coursework Committee which is also represented on the Teaching Committee. Any staff member may join a subject group by contacting its chairman.

2. TIMETABLES AND ALLOCATION OF TEACHING DUTIES

Teaching duties for the academic year are allocated in the previous Lent Term after discussions between the Deputy Head of Department (Teaching), chairmen of subject groups, heads of division, the Director of Undergraduate Education and the Secretary of the Teaching Committee, who also constructs the timetable and liaises with Lab Leaders (who allocate staff to experiments) regarding staff availability for particular sessions.

The Teaching Duties database is managed by Madeline McKerchar and lists scheduled duties for all members of teaching staff. It provides a transparent record of staff load in order to ensure a fair distribution of tasks across the Department.

3. LECTURE COURSES

Lectures should last for 50 minutes, starting at 5 minutes past the hour and finishing at 5 minutes before the hour.

Some Part I lecture courses are given by more than one lecturer, who are responsible for jointly planning the course and for preparing the syllabus and examples papers. Other Part I lecture courses are given by a single lecturer, with a moderator for their examples papers.

Lecture Handouts
All lecturers are responsible for distributing their own lecture handouts. Spare copies of Part I handouts are deposited in the racks in the Inglis Building corridor approaching LR3. Spare handouts from third- and fourth-year courses should be made available directly from the relevant Group Centre or directly from the lecturer.

Syllabuses
Syllabus Information (incorporating booklists) is available from the Undergraduate Teaching Homepage. The Teaching Office sends out requests for updating syllabuses and booklists during the Easter Term. Final amendments to booklists must be submitted by the end of the Easter Term, and final changes to syllabuses are requested by early September.

Examples Papers
The document 'Provision of Part I Examples Papers', which is available from the Teaching Office, outlines the Faculty Board policy on timing, layout, etc. Distribution of Part I examples papers and solutions is organised by the Teaching Office. After issue to students, spare copies of the papers are kept in the racks in the Inglis Building corridor. Copies of examples papers and solutions are sent to supervisors and members of staff upon request (teaching-office@eng). They are also made available for use by College Libraries, at the discretion of Directors of Studies. Spares are held by the Teaching Office. Six complete sets of papers and solutions are made available in the Departmental Library at the start of the Easter Term.

Examples papers for third- and fourth-year courses are handled by the Module Leader for each course.

Past Tripos papers and Cribs
Copies of past Tripos Papers and Cribs (from 1996 to present) are available to staff as pdf files from the Department's Undergraduate Teaching Homepage. Standard access is limited to the last 5 years. The Departmental Library holds copies of past Tripos papers and cribs for all years for reference only. Microfiche versions of cribs (up until 2007) are available at most College libraries. Staff can collect Part I and Part II papers and cribs from the relevant Subject Group Office.

4.TEACHING AIDS

All main lecture theatres are equipped with blackboards or whiteboards, two overhead projectors and slide projectors, and the facility for data projectors and computers. Facilities for preparation of transparencies and slides are available in the Print room. The Audio Visual Aids unit will advise on the production of films and a projectionist is available to run them (avs-bookings@eng.cam.ac.uk). Closed circuit television can be arranged in some lecture theatres by consultation with Mr Hepburn (rh@eng). "Starboards" are available experimentally in some lecture theatres. The Director of Undergraduate Education (hrs@eng.cam.ac.uk) may also be consulted with regard to teaching facilities in lecture rooms.

5. LECTURE ASSESSMENT BY STUDENTS

A supply of 'Lecture questionnaire' forms are kept in the Teaching Office, Office floor, Baker Building. These may be distributed and collected at the lecturer's discretion at an appropriate point in the course to provide lecturers with feedback on technique and course content. See also Comments from SSJC to Lecturers.

Online surveys of student opinion of all lecture courses in years 1-3 are open all years. Paper-based machine-readable surveys are carried out for 4th-year courses under the co-ordination of the Director of Undergraduate Education (copies available from the web). Other surveys of lectures and coursework are carried out from time to time.

6. COURSES ON TEACHING AND LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Newly-appointed officers are invited to attend sessions organised by the General Board's Committee for the Training and Development of University Teachers, delivered by the Staff Development Office. Details are issued in the Michaelmas Term, and it is hoped that staff will make every effort to attend. Sessions on teaching methods are also organised in the Engineering Department from time to time. Any lecturer wishing to have a video-recording made of one of their lectures for their own private use should contact Mr Hepburn, who will arrange for a technician to record the lecture.

In addition to the above, the Department also organises a special training course for new supervisors of third-year modules. New teaching staff are welcome to attend. Details will be given in the Michaelmas and Lent term Encyclicals.

7. OTHER GUIDANCE FOR NEW STAFF

A set of contacts and information for new staff is available online.

New members of teaching staff will be allocated a Mentor by their Head of Division to offer support and advice. Induction meetings will also be arranged with the Deputy Head of Department (Teaching) and the Director of Undergraduate Education. New staff can expect either the Deputy Head of Department (Teaching) or their Head of Division to attend some of their lectures, or for them to ask an experienced member of staff to act as their deputy.

Each new member of staff will have an annual probation meeting with an appropriate senior staff member appointed by the Head of Department in order to discuss teaching and research activities.

8. ABSENCE DURING FULL TERM

During Full Term, leave of absence must always be sought for absences longer than 48 hours. An application form which explains the procedure for requests for short-term leave (i.e. 3-14 nights) is available from the Teaching Office, or from your Head of Division. A downloadable version is available from the Staff section of the Undergraduate Teaching homepages. The Secretary of the Faculty Board should be consulted for periods of absence longer than 14 nights.

Staff are reminded that, except for illness, scheduled lectures and teaching duties during Full Term should not normally be cancelled or postponed. Where matters of exceptional importance arise, which make it necessary for lectures to be cancelled or re-arranged, staff are asked to consult the Deputy Head of Department (Teaching) and the Secretary of the Teaching Committee in good time.

Note: It is the responsibility of the staff members concerned to make detailed arrangements for any agreed timetable swaps. In the case of demonstrators, appropriate arrangements should be made with the member of staff in charge of the appropriate activity. In both instances, the Teaching Office should be kept fully informed of any changes (teaching-office@eng).

9. UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING WEB PAGES

A wide range of student and staff information documents are available from the Undergraduate Teaching homepages

© Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge Information provided by the teaching-office	Updated 12 January 2009