What the Curriculum Transformation Project means for you
The University is taking a fresh look at how we learn, and how we're taught and assessed. It is called the “Curriculum Transformation Project”, and I want to tell you what it is about.
What is it?
The project is a University-wide review of the curriculum, teaching, assessment and the spaces and the tools we learn with. The aim is to make learning at Aberdeen more inclusive, more flexible and more relevant to the world you are graduating into. The goal is to build on what is already working well, remove the barriers that get in your way, and create the best possible experience for current and future students.
What is being looked at?
Four groups have been working on:
- Academic Structures: Reviewing programme and course structures to ensure they are fit for purpose now and in the future.
- Teaching and Learning: Exploring approaches that support diverse learners and innovative models of delivery.
- Learning Infrastructure: Strengthening digital and physical learning environments to enable high-quality learning experiences.
- Assessment Design: Reviewing assessment approaches to ensure they are fair, inclusive and aligned with intended learning outcomes.
Where are we now?
Senate approved the first stage, the Discovery Phase, in February 2026. Since then, the project has been gathering evidence and experiences from students, staff and people outside the University to understand what is working, what is not and where the opportunities lie. The four groups are now turning that into recommendations. Those go to Senate, which will decide what shapes Phase 2.
So, to be clear, nothing about your course has changed because of this project. This stage has been about listening and understanding. Any future changes will be based on that evidence, and decisions and next steps will be shared with you as they happen.
Where I come in
As your VP Education I sit on Senate, where the recommendations from this project will be discussed and decided. That means two things. First, the student voice will be in the room, and what I bring into that room comes from you: the feedback you give at the end of each course, what you tell your class rep, and what you raise with me directly. Second, you will hear from me in plain language about what is happening and why.
How you can get involved
The evidence this project draws on comes from what students already tell the University, so the best thing you can do is keep that going.
- Talk to your class rep. They have been asked to keep these four themes in mind when they gather feedback from your class.