Read the latest Common Awards student bulletin
1. Upcoming Dates and Key Dates
6th April - TEIs to ask Common Awards students to send any feedback for the Management Board to the CAMB student representatives
17th April – Student Survey 2026 opens
28th April – Webinar on Disability and Theology
2. Common Awards webinar series
The following Common Awards webinar, which are free for Common Awards staff and students, will take place on:
Tuesday 28th April, 2.30pm – 4.00pm:
‘She’s Kind, He’s Smart’: Gendered Language in Teaching Evaluations, References and Reports, with the Revd Dr Gabrielle Thomas
Whenever people give feedback on each other – whether that is students filling in Module Evaluation Questionnaires, staff writing reports on or references for students, people participating in ministerial development reviews, or any number of other similar processes – it proves all easy to slip into gendered stereotypes. This webinar will help staff and students identify and avoid them.
Microsoft Teams meetingJoin: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/36176480139462?p=9rysUM20KdToGEgNJwMeeting ID: 361 764 801 394 62Passcode: 9QR9Dx7a
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Wednesday 6th May, 2pm – 3.30pm:
Class in Theological Education, with Dr Sharon Jagger, Dr Alex Fry and Rebecca Tyndall with the Revd Rachel Simons
A chance to explore a recent report on the experience of working-class students in theological education, and its suggestions of ways forward for Theological Education Institutions deconstructing classed environments and making theological education an arena for working-class voices.
Microsoft Teams meetingJoin: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33162272804925?p=xB4gHXgDF1oMjkICgxMeeting ID: 331 622 728 049 25Passcode: XH6e5mQ6
3. Student Feedback to the Management Board
Common Awards students at all TEIs may provide feedback to the Management Board at any time, via either your own TEI student representatives, or via the Common Awards Student Representatives. The Board takes the issue of anonymity very seriously; individual students will not be named in any student feedback considered by the Board, and any identifying information will be removed before feedback is considered.
The next meeting of the Management Board will take place in early May. If you would like to contact the Common Awards student representatives their details are as follows:
Examples of the types of student feedback that it would be appropriate to be raised at the level of the Management Board:
Student views on the content and design of the overarching Common Awards programmes and modules and the methods of teaching and assessment
o For example: do students feel there is a sufficient range and depth of modules available? Are the assessment methods balanced and appropriate and is it clear what is expected of students for each assessment type? Do students feel the programmes allow them to develop the necessary skills and subject knowledge?
Student views on Common Awards policies and processes that they have experience of (for example, admissions, APL, concessions, academic complaints)
o For example: are these processes clear and unambiguous to follow? Is sufficient information provided?
Student views on the operation of the Common Awards Scheme more broadly
o For example: what things do students feel are going well and are there any areas that could be improved? Are there any areas of good practice that they wish to highlight?
We wouldn’t expect to take student feedback to the overarching Management Board regarding TEI-specific issues, such as issues relating to the resources, staffing or programme delivery at any individual TEI. These types of issues should be considered at TEI Management Committees.
4. Student Feedback – Common Awards Student Survey (CASS)
As part of the Common Awards partnership, Durham University runs an annual survey for all students currently registered on any of the Common Awards programmes which it validates. The survey provides you with the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback to your TEI. The results of the survey are shared with TEIs to help enhance the student experience. The 2026 survey will launch on 17th April and will be open until 30th May.
The survey includes questions on the learning and teaching experience, academic and pastoral support, the learning resources available, and the student voice. You will also have the opportunity to provide free-text comments on your overall experience at the TEI.
Your TEI will contact you in March each year of your programme to request permission to share your email address with the University for this purpose (on the basis of legitimate interest, in GDPR terms). You will be given an opportunity to opt out of sharing it, and can opt out of completing the survey at any time without your responses being included in the dataset.
For further information on the Survey, please see the relevant Common Awards webpage.
5. Common Awards Student Guide
The ‘Welcome to Durham University’ Student Guide has been produced by the University for students starting new programmes with a Common Awards institution, and is updated each year.
This guide has been created in response to the Common Awards Student Survey feedback, to help improve students’ understanding of the Common Awards partnership, the relationship between their TEI and the University, the role of the University in their time as a Common Awards student, and any key information they may find useful. The guide is intended to complement induction information already shared by TEIs.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Common Awards student bulletin, put together by the Common Awards team within Durham University.
6. Further Information
The Common Awards website contains a section aimed at students which you may find useful, particularly the pages on what Common Awards can provide to you as a student, and what your TEI can provide.
If you would like to contact the Common Awards team you may do so via your TEI’s ‘key contact’, or by emailing us directly on common.awards@durham.ac.uk
Thank you,
Common Awards Team
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