SEEC is a collaborative network of universities and HE providers working together to advance the use and practice of academic credit, widening access to learning.
SEEC’s ambition is ‘to advance education for the public benefit by developing credit accumulation and transfer and promoting lifelong learning, at the higher education level’. We promote links and collaborative ventures between members, employers, professional bodies and other organisations with interests in credit.
SEEC has always served as a reference point on credit-based learning, structures and processes in the UK and in the developing field of European credit. We publish the widely-used SEEC Credit Level Descriptors which will be reissued in 2021.
SEEC’s former Chair, Prof Darryll Bravenboer, is a member of the Advisory Group undertaking the QAA’s review of the HE Credit Framework foEngland. This Group, drawn from and acting on behalf of the HE sector in England, is providing expert advice on the review of the Framework. The existing Framework was published in 2008 and has not been reviewed or updated since. The Advisory Group will review the existing guidance considering contemporary developments within the area of credit frameworks, including credit transfer, assessment and mapping to other UK and European credit frameworks, taking account of the radical changes to the sector since 2008. The Group will work to revise the guidance and support the consultation process with the wider UK HE sector prior to publication. The schedule for this work has been delayed as a consequence of the Covid-19 crisis and the revised publication schedule is to be confirmed but is likely to be early in 2021.
Network Committee
As a UALL Network, SEEC is managed by a Committee led by a Convenor. Initially this will include former Trustees of SEEC with additional members sought once the Network is established.
Prof Darryll Bravenboer, Middlesex University (Convenor)
Dr Corinne Boz, University of Cambridge
Clare Dunn, The Open University
Sarah Macdonald, Pearson College London
Heather Rosa, Institute for Optimum Nutrition
Annual General Meetings
The final SEEC AGM was held at Pearson College London on 6 December 2019, when members approved the Trustees’ proposal to move towards becoming a Network of UALL. A set of Minutes can be read here: Draft Minutes AGM Dec 2019
About academic credit
Academic credit is the currency awarded to learning gained in formal and non-formal settings: a tool for measuring and formally recognising the equivalence of that learning. Credit can be transferred between institutions and is now integral to curriculum design in both the UK and Europe. SEEC’s Credit Level Descriptors (downloadable here – seec-descriptors-2016) are widely used across HE to define credit awards, and a set of case studies demonstrating their application in a variety of settings has recently been published. Download it from our Resources page.
A comprehensive overview of credit policy and practice in the UK was published by the HEA in 2012 and can be read here. On a more personal level, SEEC’s April 2018 Seminar ‘Credit transfer and social mobility’ featured two Middlesex University graduates who gave compelling accounts of the role of credit in their respective learning journeys:
“I was able to get my degree in a shorter time because of the credits I’d gained … it gave me a better understanding of what, how and why I’ve learned through my career and it also improved my confidence.” Yasmin Jevanjee, BA(Hons) Professional Practice (Early Years Education).
“I could see my development and growth in learning, as a nurse but also as an adult learner taking responsibility for my own development. The University’s acknowledging this experiential learning and accrediting RPL really boosted my confidence.” Marjorie Dunn, MSc Professional Practice (Leading Change in Clinical Practice)
If you’re a member of SEEC and would like to hear more, you can watch a video of Yasmin and Marjorie’s presentation in the Member Content area. (For a password reminder please contact avgarrod@seec.org.uk .)
The key role of credit in the development of Degree Apprenticeships and how these will shape the future of higher education is described on our Apprenticeships page. Advice on how credit could feature in Student Protection Plans can be found here.
More general information about the award and transfer of credit can be found on our pages For Learners. A useful history of the development and use of credit can be found here and a recent DfE survey on ‘Credit transfer in higher education’ can be downloaded here.
SEEC and the HE sector
SEEC has regularly contributed to sector studies and reports, most recently the Erasmus +/ UUKI/ HEURO survey on Higher Education Outward Mobility Credit Transfer and Recognition exploring current practice and
recommendations for UK HE – see our Resources page.
SEEC’s Chair, Prof Darryll Bravenboer, talked about current credit practice and policy during a QAA webinar in 2018, and his audio presentation can be accessed here together with the slides: SEEC QAA Webinar Feb 2018
SEEC welcomed the inclusion of the student transfer clause in the 2017 HE and Research Bill, which demonstrated that the Government is taking this issue seriously and sets the tone for ongoing work and wider engagement. Our views are summarised here: HERB comment March 2017 , and we were able to provide the OfS with feedback on the student transfer clause in the new Regulatory Framework via a workshop at one of our 2018 Seminars.
SEEC maintain links with other organisations with interests in academic credit as listed on our Collaboration page.