Curriculum Reimagined

See how we are improving our curriculum to provide the best learning community for our students and staff.

Curriculum Reimagined is guided by four principles:

• distinctive
• inclusive
• streamlined
• future proofed.

The work is divided into three sub-projects:

1. Sussex Framework
   This project will unify the key elements of educational delivery, providing a consistent foundation for staff and students. It combines the existing Academic Framework with the new Assessment and Curriculum Frameworks to create a clear vision for all.

2. Sussex Choice
   This project will define and clarify the Sussex Choice offer, ensuring that current and prospective students clearly understand and are excited by what we offer.

3. Sussex Prospectus
   This project aims to develop a CMA-compliant (Competition and Markets Authority) online prospectus, giving potential students a clear understanding of our offerings and enabling innovative course development.

See what we are focusing on this term.

• Video transcript 

  [Professor Claire Smith stands talking to camera in a seminar room]

  Professor Claire Smith: I'm Professor Claire Smith and I'm the Deputy Pro- Vice- Chancellor for Education and Innovation. I'm part of the team that is leading Curriculum Reimagined. Curriculum Reimagined is an institutional review of our educational offer and the structures that support it. Why are we doing this now? We haven't undertaken such a review for over ten years.

  [Screen shows the University library, and the steps leading up to Pevensey II. Then returns to Professor Claire Smith]

  Professor Claire Smith: There has been a rapid pace of change in the sector recently and we want to ensure that our students and our staff have the best experience possible. Curriculum Reimagined comprises of two parts.

  The first part is the repairing part. It's fixing the things that you have told us and no longer working for us. We're currently looking to review the structure of the academic year and the information and the timelines associated with our online digital prospectus.

  The second part of Curriculum Reimagined is that reimagining part. It's the building for the future. It's taking the parts that we at Sussex really care about our distinctive curriculum offer. Making sure that inclusivity, sustainability, human flourishing and the use of digital data is intertwined in everything that we do.

  We're enabling this by looking at our elective provision and looking at the assessments that we use as an institution.

  [Screen shows the Arts A building. Then a close up of students walking into a seminar room. Then students walking up the path from Falmer House. It then returns to Professor Claire Smith.]

  Professor Claire Smith: Collectively, Curriculum Reimagined. It's going to bring about positive changes. It's going to help us decrease the awarding gap, increase graduate outcomes and increase the student and the staff experience.

  [Screen card reads: Delivering a better education. For more information about the Curriculum Reimagined project, visit our website.]

Why are we doing this?

Our aim is to improve the curriculum and boost student satisfaction by offering transformative, high-quality education that helps students achieve their desired futures.

Curriculum Reimagined explores how we can deliver the curriculum for the best student outcomes and staff experience, and how we want Sussex to be recognised.

When is it happening?

The project runs from 2023 to 2026 and includes three sub-projects:

• Sussex Framework: A unified approach to curriculum, teaching, and assessment, launching in Summer 2025. Sussex Framework is made up of the following:
• Curriculum Framework: Defines Sussex's overall educational offer. Read a draft of the Framework.
• Academic Framework: Specifies how the educational offer is delivered. Read our current Academic Framework.
• Assessment Framework: Defines assessment methods, with a final version expected to go to University Executive Council by February 2025, to be integrated into the Curriculum Framework and Assessment Regulations.

• Sussex Choice: A refreshed, interdisciplinary student offer.
• Sussex Prospectus: Improving the applicant experience and making course changes easier.

Project timeline 

The Curriculum Reimagined project will go through five stages:

1. Scope phase

   February – July 2023: This includes consultation with staff, Research and Development (R&D) academic approvals, and outlining our business case.

2. Planning phase

   July 2023 – September 2024: This includes developing our phased implementation plans. We are here.

3. Implement phase

   Depending on the need for change, identified through our consultation process, changes will be delivered in phases across 23/24, 24/25 and concluding in 25/26.

4. Handover phase

    This is expected to happen in 2026/27

5. Evaluation phase

    

Curriculum Reimagined priorities for Summer/Autumn 2024:

Sussex Framework 

• Creating an assessment framework.
• Reviewing the assessment modes, choice, and inclusive assessment strategy and gaining approval for new modes. 
• Design future quality assurance processes to ensure curriculum reviews are embedded in future business as usual. 

Sussex Choice

• Reduce cross-threading/cross-levelling of modules.
• Consult on proposals. 

Sussex Prospectus

• Convene working group to explore options for creating a CMA compliant prospectus.
• Define requirements for CMA compliant offer, and test capabilities of new Student Information System relating to online prospectus information.  

Related and dependent projects

Projects that Curriculum Reimagined is closely linked with include:

• Student Information System
• timetabling projects
• e-assessments
• connected experiences programme.