Top marks for History at Teesside

History at the University of Teesside has been praised in a glowing report from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education. It’s an academic hat trick for the University, following positive QAA reviews of the Foundation Degree in Chemical Technology and Social Work provision.

As part of the QAA review, the team met staff and students; scrutinised students’ assessed work, read relevant documents and examined learning resources. The QAA reviewers awarded the highest commendation possible in all three categories - teaching and learning, student progression and learning resources.

The QAA team judged all History programmes to be “attractive to students” and especially praised the “friendliness, helpfulness and open-door accessibility of History staff.” They also said that the University’s £11m Learning Resource Centre “provides impressive facilities for the use of History students.”

The reviewers also expressed confidence in academic standards achieved by programmes in History at the University, at both undergraduate and Masters level.

The History section’s QAA success adds to their achievement in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) conducted by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Historical research at the University was judged as being at the level of international excellence, when it was awarded a 5 in the RAE.

Su Reid, Director of the School of Arts and Media at the University of Teesside, where History is taught, said: “Students reading History at Teesside get an outstanding experience, comparable with the best in the country. The report rightly recognises the dedication of the History team who are always moving forward to develop distinctive new ideas and courses.”

Professor Graham Henderson, University of Teesside Vice-Chancellor said: “I am delighted to report another outstanding result by the University’s staff and students. This outcome, sitting alongside the exceptional research grading, places the University of Teesside among the leading providers of History education in the UK.”

Recent University of Teesside History graduate John Poole is now training as a secondary History teacher in London. John, 22, from Middlesbrough, said: “The lecturers were really good, using a variety of different styles. They were always supportive and available if you needed to speak to them. The computing facilities in the Learning Resource Centre were also really good, with fantastic links to historical web sites.” A J-Peg of John is attached.

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