Provision, Design and Approval of New Degree Programmes

1.1 . All new degree programmes should be developed in line with the College’s ‘Programme Approval Guidance Notes 2010/2011’. These notes provide guidance to Schools/Departments and to Programme Development Panels (PDPs) on the procedure by which proposals for new degree programmes and major amendments ^[1] 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.  The above notes should also be read in conjunction with the ‘Guide to Developing Degrees’ 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.

1.2. As the above notes detail, the School Teaching and Quality Enhancement Committee (STQEC) should act as the focus for consideration of all new degree proposals for forwarding to the College Programmes Committee.  STQECs should therefore monitor developments in all relevant disciplines and identify any need for change.  STQECs may, according to School size and circumstances, find it appropriate to nominate a School sub-group with responsibility for programme review and development.  In particular, Schools should be receptive to innovative proposals to maintain and enhance quality in the face of increasing student numbers and limited resources.  Together with amendments to programmes these proposals should be the subject of wide and thorough discussion within the School Teaching and Quality Enhancement Committee before they are referred for further consideration within the College's committee structure.   

^[1]  Major amendments to existing programmes are deemed to be changes in excess of 50% of the programme as a whole which may include amendments to the assessment/curriculum/programme and award regulations. For example, this would include changing over 50% of the nature of assessment on the programme, or introducing a substantial number of alterations to the curriculum (defined in terms of the balance of modules at different levels or alterations to core courses), or changing the programme and award regulations including substantial changes to the programme aims and learning outcomes, entry requirements, intermediate awards, duration, level of the award etc.