Programme/ Module approval, amendment & Programme withdrawal/ suspension
Programme Approval forms:
Programme Proposal Form
Programme Proposal Form Guidance Notes
Programme Specification Form
Programme Specification Form Guidance Notes
Module Approval/ Module Amendment/ Minor Programme Amendment Forms:
Decelerated Programme Form
Module Proposal Form
Module Amendment Form
Programme Amendment Form
Departments/ Schools MUST provide an updated Programme Specification when making programme amendments.
Programme Withdrawal and Suspension form:
Programme Withdrawal and Suspension Form
Common Award Scheme (CAS) Programme Structure
CAS Programme Structures
Non-Credit Bearing Module Proposal Form
Indicative Schedule for Programmes and Modules Approval - Submission Dates
Submission Dates 2014-2015
UCAS Programmes 2014/2015
Please submit a programme amendment form to School STQEC, and notify Shona Brown - Student Administration, before the end term of Spring 2013.
Programme Approval:
The Programme Approval Guidance Notes provide guidance to Schools/ Departments and to Programme Development Panels on the procedure by which proposals for new degree programmes and major amendments to existing programmes should be considered across the College. The procedure details the different stages of consideration, gives advice regarding what is needed at each stage, and the support that is available from the Quality Enhancement and Validation (QEV) section of Registry Services throughout the process. These notes should be read in conjunction with the Guide to Developing Programmes 2011/12
which provides advice regarding the entire process of degree design, validation and establishment from the first germ of an idea through to the recruitment of students. Consideration should also be given to the Academic Opportunities paper produced as a result of the College’s Strategic Review.
The Outline Programme Proposal form should be completed in the first instance and submitted to the QEV team by 28th February (18 months in advance of commencement of the programme), following consideration by the STQEC. This will allow the School/ Department to meet the deadline of 1st May to advertise the title of the new programme in the next following edition of the College prospectus and of 15th May for programme entry information. Only once agreed in principle by the STQEC may the programme be advertised in the prospectus “subject to approval” and systems set-up work on BSIS triggered for enquiry purposes. Following such endorsement, QEV (Registry Services) will liaise with Schools regarding the most suitable dates for submission of a full Programme Proposal/ Specification and establishment of a Programme Development Panel to consider the proposed new programme in full.
Programme Directors who are in the process of compiling proposals for new programmes/ specifications may wish to look at examples of completed forms. These can be found by clicking on the tab entitled 'Finalised specifications' on the left-hand side of this page.
Approval of New Modules and Amendments to Programmes /Modules:
School TQEC's may approve new modules, module and minor programme amendments (including decelerated Programme amendments) for report to the College Programmes Committee, ensuring these are in line with the national academic infrastructure, the College’s Mission, relevant College Codes of Practice and College/ School Strategies including Learning and Teaching. The Module Proposal form, Module Amendment form, Programme Amendment form and Decelerated Programme Amendment form have been devised for this purpose.
Programme Withdrawal/ Suspension:
A proposal to withdraw or suspend a degree programme should be discussed in the first instance by the host School taking into account resourcing, staffing, student demand and any other market factors. A record should be kept of these discussions in the form of either email correspondence or minutes of the School TQEC or School Executive. The proposal should also be discussed with the relevant academic staff, including the Head of Department of both the host Department/ School and of any other Department/ School contributing to the programme. Such a proposal agreed at Department/ School level should then be signed off by the Head of Department and Executive Dean using the Programme Withdrawal/ Suspension form which should then be submitted to the Head of QEV who will report this matter to the College Programmes Committee for recommendation to the College TQEC and Academic Board Executive Committee (or the Chairs of those Committees).
Short Courses/ Workshops:
The Non-CAS Short Course approval form or Non-CAS Workshop approval form are to be completed for approval and set up of short courses or workshops. These must be approved by the relevant Module or Workshop Coordinator, Tutor and Chair of the School Teaching and Quality Enhancement Committee.