Free SPECS professional workbook

Board’s 20 Questions About Institutional Quality

Structure governing-body discussion about academic quality, student outcomes, institutional evidence, risk and improvement.

20 board-level assurance questionsDiscussion and evidence promptsAction log and assurance summary

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Board quality discussion companion

Seven themes for a focused board conversation. Expand each theme to read all 20 original workbook questions.

Open guided companion

Designed forGoverning bodies, councils, trustees and senior leadership teamsEditable Excel formatVerified-email access

About the tool

A practical working resource for evidence-led improvement.

A governance-assurance tool that equips governing bodies and senior committees to ask focused questions about institutional quality, academic standards, student outcomes, evidence systems, risk and continuous improvement. It records the evidence considered, the board’s current level of assurance and the actions required where assurance is incomplete.

Inside the workbook

What the tool provides

The workbook combines structured questions, traceable evidence and accountable follow-through in one editable working format.

0120 strategic board questions
02Five institutional assurance themes
03Why-each-question-matters guidance
04Expected evidence for board consideration
05Four assurance levels
06Discussion and decision records
07Action ownership and deadlines
08Verified action-closure register

Fictional worked example

See how the workbook works

The images below use fictional institutional information to demonstrate the workbook’s structure, evidence trail and management summary.

Fictional board assurance summary showing questions discussed, assurance status and actions by theme — 01
**Board assurance summary**
A consolidated view of the board’s current assurance across governance, standards, student outcomes, evidence systems and improvement.

Fictional board questions worksheet with expected evidence, assurance levels, discussion, owners and due dates — 02
**Twenty focused board questions**
Board challenge is translated into an explicit assurance judgement supported by recorded evidence.

Fictional board action log showing action owners, dates, status, closure evidence and verification — 03
**Action and verification log**
Unresolved assurance matters remain visible until delivery and closure evidence have been verified.

Illustrative use only. The examples do not represent a real institution, accreditation judgement or regulatory decision. Each workbook must be aligned to the applicable framework and reviewed using qualified human judgement.

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