Education Monitoring and Review (EMR)
What is EMR?
Education Monitoring and Review (EMR) is a cyclical quality assurance process applied to all University award-bearing courses, including Triposes, Master’s and doctoral courses, and the Language Centre CULP awards. The process uses student outcomes and other qualitative and quantitative data to monitor the effectiveness of courses, evidence the high quality of the University’s education provision, and support the continual enhancement of academic standards.
EMR encourages Faculties and Departments to reflect critically on all aspects of educational provision and to identify areas for improvement or further consideration. Where issues or concerns are identified, EQPO and other central teams — including the Cambridge Centre for Teaching and Learning (CCTL) — can provide advice, guidance and practical support. Matters arising through EMR may also be escalated to ASEC, PC or GBEC where appropriate. The expectation is that identified issues will be addressed by the relevant Faculty or Department Board, supported by EQPO and PGRO colleagues, with progress monitored and followed up as necessary by EQPO and the relevant committees.
The Process
Data is extracted from CamSIS and visualised through Microsoft Power BI, providing an accessible and user-friendly interface for exploring trends and outcomes. The dataset covers the full student lifecycle, including admissions, intermissions, withdrawals and examination results. Data can be analysed across a range of protected and demographic characteristics, including disability, ethnicity and gender, and can also be examined intersectionally (for example, ethnicity and disability together, or gender and ethnicity) to identify more nuanced patterns, disparities and areas of concern.
The relevant EQPO liaison officer undertakes detailed analysis of the data, identifying key themes, trends and potential areas for discussion before sharing findings with Schools, Faculties and Departments. This enables local areas to engage meaningfully with the evidence base and consider targeted interventions where appropriate. Discussions are subsequently followed up through a formal report and action plan produced by EQPO, supporting ongoing monitoring and enhancement activity. Alongside quantitative data, other indicators of the student experience and academic standards -such as external examiner reports and National Student Survey (NSS) data - are also taken into account to provide a broader contextual understanding.
An example of the types of data available: Microsoft Power BI (can also be produced at School level).
More information on the new process is available here Changes to EMR SC.pptx. Please contact your liaison officer for further information, timelines etc.