Quality assurance arrangements

A number of quality assurance arrangements have been set up in order to ensure that collaborative partnerships meet the University standards and expectations. The information below highlights some of the arrangements that have been put in place.

Resources

Partnership manager

The relevant Head of Department is responsible for nominating a member of the University’s staff to act as the partnership manager who will be responsible for overseeing the management of the partnership arrangements. The Head of Department will keep the Quality Office informed of staffing changes to this role.

The partnership manager is responsible for ensuring that information regarding the partnership is provided to relevant University offices and committees and for ensuring that the partner is provided with all necessary information from the University.

Partnership manager role description

The Head of Department will nominate a member of academic staff to act as the Partnership Manager. The Partnership Manager will be a member of staff with experience of programme administration and an understanding of the University’s quality assurance procedures. The role may be undertaken by a programme convenor. He or she will be the main point of contact for the partner. The role will include responsibility for:

Assisting the University in managing the quality and standards of the collaborative provision
Providing academic advice, as required, on programme development
Advising on comparability with similar programmes in the University
Offering advice on University Regulations and procedures
Offering advice on assessment practices, including examinations and attending Boards of Examiners, as required
Advising the Head of Department on the suitability of staff in the partner institution to teach on the collaborative programme
Serving as a member of the Board of Studies or equivalent body, and the Board of Examiners
Visiting the partner as appropriate
Reviewing publicity material
Liaising with the partner and the University’s Library and IT Services on arrangements for the provision of library and IT resources for the programme, where such provision forms part of the agreement.
Feeding into the annual developmental review process and providing an annual report on the partnership to the Collaborative Partnership Management Group

Collaborative partnership management group

Terms of reference

To manage the operation of the Code of Practice on the University’s Procedures for Managing Higher Education Provision with others on behalf of the Academic Policy Committee
To advise the Academic Policy Committee on the formulation, development and implementation of policies relating to the management of Higher Education provision with others
To consider proposals for articulation agreements, educational delivery partners, support providers
To review partnership agreements and make recommendations to the Academic Policy Committee on whether agreements should be renewed
To consider annual reports on the operation of partnerships identifying any issues requiring action or areas of good practice for dissemination and providing a formal report to the Academic Policy Committee

Membership

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) as Chair
Director of the Doctoral College
Academic Registrar
Deputy Director of Academic Services
A representative from each College (with experience of collaborative provision/distance learning)
Two partnership managers
A representative of the Future Students Office
Student representation

Secretariat

Quality Office
Reports to Academic Policy Committee

Departmental ownership

The Head of Department is also responsible for ensuring that the Department takes ownership for the programme(s) and embeds it within the University’s standard quality assurance and enhancement processes.

Process and criteria for the appointment of staff to teach on collaborative programmes

All staff associated with the delivery, teaching or assessment of a programme leading to an award of the University must be approved by the University before they begin teaching. Departments are responsible for approving such staff.
Partner organisations are required to have a clear policy for the recruitment of staff which involves a competitive application process.
A copy of the relevant application form and curriculum vitae for all staff teaching on a programme must be submitted to the relevant academic department for approval.
The University requires that staff involved in the teaching and assessment of programmes meet the following criteria:
- All staff should have a Higher Education qualification in a relevant subject at least one level above that of the programme on which they will be teaching or equivalent professional qualifications
- At least some staff should be able to demonstrate evidence of academic recognition through publications or a record of research and hold a doctoral qualification. For postgraduate programmes, it is expected that this will be the majority of staff
- Have appropriate experience of teaching and assessing at HE level
- Any additional appropriate experience required by the discipline
Where staff do not meet the above criteria, partner organisations are required to demonstrate a commitment to staff development and training in order to bring the teaching team profile up to the required level
Departments are responsible for maintaining a record of staff approved to teach on a collaborative programme.

Read the split-site PhD guidelines (PDF, 77kb)

Annual and periodic development review

Mechanisms are in place to monitor and review all collaborative arrangements periodically and annually as set out in the University’s code of practice on annual and periodic development review.

Development, approval and modification of taught provision

Any amendments made to collaborative programmes should follow processes set out in the University’s code of practice on development, approval and modification of taught provision.

Read the code of practice on development, approval and modification of taught provision (PDF, 5.64mb)

Annual reporting and collaborative partnership review

Additional monitoring specific to collaborative provision include annual reporting of collaborative programmes and the collaborative partnership review.