Students want six of the best for ILT

The National Union of Students has called for clear minimum professional standards for all lecturers as part of the new Institute for Learning and Teaching.

It wants the 24 outcomes outlined for the new institute to reflect the simpler six outcomes proposed by the Booth committee last year. These are:

* A programme of teaching sessions

* Conducting teaching and learning methods appropriate to the particular circumstances of the discipline and institutional context

* Marking and giving feedback on assignments

* Reviews of teaching

* Keeping appropriate records

* Planned continuing professional development.

It warns that more complex proposals for the institute will neither be acceptable to higher education professionals nor safeguard student learning.

The union wants membership of the institute to be mandatory for anyone who teaches in higher education and equal opportunities training to be a requirement of associate membership.

NUS president Andrew Pakes said: "The complicated scheme that is being suggested will not be taken seriously. The key to the success of the ILT is clear and simple minimum standards without which lecturers should not be let loose on students."