Submission and Approval of New Programmes
Submission
This section of the Quality Manual gives guidance on the submission of entirely new programmes to be offered by the University on any campus. Shortened approval processes are in place for offering existing programmes on a different campus, research degrees and programmes at a lower level than an already approved programme. Please contact the Academic Services Division for advice on approval relating to the above.
1. Schools wishing to introduce a new programme must submit the following documents to the Academic Services Division:
Schools are encouraged to contact the Academic Services Division for assistance in producing the programme specification (see 3 below).
External advice should be sought when developing a new programme, and must be sought for any new programmes where more than 25% of taught modules (in credit terms) that students will be required to take are new. This advice should accompany the Programme Specification and Business Case.
Schools may decide whether to submit the two documents consecutively or (particularly where time is a factor) in parallel. Significant dates regarding the submission of programme specifications can be found on the Academic Services Division staff pages.
2. The Academic Services Division will pass the Business Case to relevant Professional Services Departments for feedback on matters relating to all sections of the Business Case. Following any necessary clarifications the case will be passed with the feedback from these offices to the relevant Dean (or, in relation to the international campuses, the PVC with responsibility for International Campuses). Schools are encouraged to contact the following: Planning, Management and Information Division (including Market Intelligence Unit), International Office, Admissions Office, Information Services, Timetabling and relevant colleagues on other campuses, along with the Faculty Financial Adviser, in the preparation of the Business Case.
3. The Academic Services Division, along with colleagues in the Admissions Office, will work with the School in putting together the programme specification which will be made available for other Schools from the relevant Faculty to comment and will then submit this document to Quality & Standards Committee.
Approval
4. Approval of the Business Case is undertaken by the Dean, except where there are significant resource issues surrounding the new programme, in which case the Dean will consult the relevant Faculty PVC. The Dean will be seeking to determine whether the income and other benefits generated by a new programme will at least match the resources that it will consume. One of the aims of a new programme should be to increase (or, at least, help maintain) the overall intake of students to the University. In order to arrive at this judgement, the Dean may request additional information from or hold discussions with the School, or seek further guidance from one of the offices listed in 2 above. The Dean will inform the Academic Services Division once a decision has been made. A School unhappy with the decision of the Dean may request that the matter be considered by the relevant Faculty PVC.
5. In the case of new programmes at the international campuses, the Business Case is considered by the PVC with responsibility for International Campuses for approval. For programmes approved for delivery on the Malaysia Campus, other than those subject to professional body accreditation, 'self-accreditation' (comprising QSC receiving information confirming the satisfactory operation of the programme on the Malaysia Campus) must be undertaken before the first cohort of students has completed the programme.
6. When a Business Case has been approved, the Academic Services Division will enter the new programme on University systems and inform the School and other interested parties. At this point (but not before), the School may advertise the new programme, accept applications, and make offers of places. As well as the University-based approval process outlined below, individual campuses may be required to seek further approval from local external bodies prior to or during the process (for example, in China, the Ministry of Education). Only when both University and relevant external approval has been given can the programme be advertised and delivered.
7. In putting forward the programme specification to Quality & Standards Committee, the Academic Services Division will provide an assurance that the document adheres with the requirements of the Quality Manual, or will point to any possible conflicts with the Quality Manual. The School must assure Quality & Standards Committee that the programme specification addresses the requirements of the relevant benchmark statement (http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/default.asp)
8. In considering the programme specification, Quality & Standards Committee will therefore only need to:
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Make a judgement on any issues which fall outside the current scope of the Quality Manual or where there is a lack of agreement between the School and the Academic Services Division.
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Consider the key academic aspects of programme specifications i.e. the learning outcomes and how they may be taught and assessed. This consideration will be largely limited to ensuring that the learning outcomes are appropriate to the level of qualification being awarded.
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Ensure that there has been adequate consultation with other affected Schools, and that any comments or objections from these other Schools have been appropriately addressed.
9. Quality and Standards Committee will make one of the following decisions in regard to the programme specification:
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Full approval
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Approval subject to changes to the programme specification (full approval will be given on acceptance of recommended changes)
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Resubmission of the programme specification to the committee.
Full approval of the programme specification is required before any students may be registered on the programme. The decision of the committee will be communicated by the Academic Services Division to the School and other interested parties. The Academic Services Division will also publish the programme specification and make use of the data contained in the specification (e.g. course structure) in University processes.
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