Session 1 - Strand 4

Abstract:

This session introduces The Marketing Agency (TMA) at the University of Portsmouth as a programme-wide approach to authentic assessment and feedback. Moving beyond the use of live briefs within individual modules, TMA demonstrates how real client work can be embedded across an entire degree through a structured civic partnership model. The session will begin by outlining how TMA operates across Levels 4–7, showing how students progressively build skills through sustained engagement with live projects. It will explore how partnerships with Portsmouth City Council and Shaping Portsmouth enable a steady flow of real marketing challenges, sourced through the Portsmouth Business Support Service and matched to student teams. We will then focus on how assessment and feedback are integrated into this model. Examples will be shared of how projects are aligned with learning outcomes and how ongoing feedback from clients and staff supports student development while maintaining academic rigour. Practical insights will be provided for colleagues interested in adopting or scaling similar approaches, including how to manage partnerships, structure delivery across programmes and ensure consistency across modules. The session will also reflect on the wider impact of the model, including its role in supporting strong Graduate Outcomes (GOs) i.e. Marketing Courses, alongside enhancing student employability, curriculum relevance and civic engagement. Perspectives from project partners will highlight the value for local organisations and the broader regional economy. Overall, the session offers a realistic, transferable model for embedding authentic assessment at scale, while helping to build an industry-ready curriculum shaped by ongoing engagement with employers and evolving sector needs.