Curriculum Planning Approval for New Academic Courses
Notes on completing the Planning Approval Form
The overall objective of this process is for the Course Proposal Team to provide sufficient
information to the Dean, the Faculty Management Team and the Corporate Management Team
(CMT) to enable each to reach a considered decision on whether to support proposals for new
courses.
A Planning Approval Form is required to request planning approval both for new courses and
for existing courses that are proposed to be delivered at an additional delivery location.
Authorisation to deliver an existing course that is already being delivered at core Anglia, to be
delivered at another core Anglia campus should be requested via a Curriculum Management
(CM1) Form.
Innovative courses which are attractive to students and which can be delivered to a high
standard will be encouraged and supported, provided that they have synergy with the strategy
and priorities of both individual Faculties and Anglia Ruskin as a whole.
These notes are intended to help Proposal Teams complete the Planning Approval Form.
Please contact your Faculty Quality Assurance Officer in the first instance if further advice or
guidance is required, queries that cannot be resolved will be escalated to the Institutional
Quality Assurance Officer (IQAO), Academic Office.
All sections of the Planning Approval Form should be completed in full.
Sections 1 – 10: Basic Course Details
These must be completed and capture the basic details of the course.
8.
Complete this section indicating proposed course delivery pattern, note institutional
preference is the standard semester or trimester pattern. Provide details if a nonstandard delivery pattern is being proposed, especially if this involves (for example)
use of accommodation at irregular intervals. All delivery patterns must align with the
assessment calendar.
Sections 11 – 15: Funding and Recruitment
11
It is essential that an accurate assessment of anticipated annual recruitment is
estimated in order that an informed decision can be made to the viability of the
proposal. You should consider any similar courses offered at other Higher Education
Institutions (HEIs) and the target market of the proposed course.
12
You should refer to your Faculty Resources Officer (or equivalent) to check the cost
centre and HEFCE price band into which the proposed course should be set.
13
Please state a Home/EU tuition fee, along with a Non EU (International) tuition fee if
the course will be offered to Non EU students.
Approved course fees can be found on the Student Finance pages on My.Anglia.
Should you require further guidance, refer to your Faculty Resources Officer (or
equivalent).
14
You should outline the expected funding source for the proposed course. If it is a
combination of Home/EU and Non EU students expected onto the course, you should
signal this by ticking both HEFCE and ‘Other’.
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Academic Office
Sections 15 – 20: Supporting Information
These sections are designed to assure all concerned that the proposal has been properly
thought through, that it is linked to Faculty and Anglia Ruskin strategic priorities and that there
is likely to be sufficient demand for the course.
15
Indicate clearly why you are proposing to offer the course and how it builds on existing
strengths of the Department/Faculty.
16
The Corporate Plan 2015-17 is available on the ‘staff’ pages of My.Anglia and reference
should be made to the appropriate parts of this document. You should also refer in this
section to the Strategic Plan which Faculties are required to submit for the February
round of Strategic Planning meetings. Your Deputy Dean responsible for curriculum
development will be able to supply a copy.
17
Where the course will be open to international students, evidence needs to be provided
of how this course offering will appeal to that market. Include course design (e.g.
multiple intake points or trimester delivery to facilitate one year completion) and appeal
of the subject within particular regions. Evidence of consultation with the International
Office must be included.
If the course will not be offered to international students the reason for this must be
stated, for example due to the course being delivered for a specific SHA contract or
employer.
19
It is essential that the proposal is accompanied by firm (i.e. quantitative) evidence of
likely demand. This may take various forms such as a) UCAS applications and HESA
enrolment trends b) related courses already offered at Anglia Ruskin c) similar (i.e.
potentially-competitive) courses offered by other HEI providers.
Please contact Neil Summers neil.summers@anglia.ac.uk (ext.4719) or Amber
Stephenson amber.stephenson@anglia.ac.uk (x4704) in Market Intelligence who can
provide this data.
20
List here any similar (i.e. potentially-competitive) courses currently available in the East
of England, Greater London and our benchmark institutions, or within the region of an
Associate College proposal, with approximate recruitment numbers.
Sections 21 – 27: Resource Implications
21
If a proposed course is a direct replacement of another course, the deleted course
name and proposed withdrawal date should be included and it stated that the
International Office has been consulted so as not to inadvertently withdraw a course
with international appeal.
22
Indicate the number and credit volume of new modules (at each level) being created
specifically for the course. If the course uses modules from any existing course(s),
please indicate the % of the proposed course that will be made up of such modules.
23
CMT will be looking for evidence that wherever possible new modules, to be costeffective, will be shared across courses.
24
The number and total credit volume of new modules should normally be balanced by
withdrawal of a similar number/credit volume from the Faculty’s existing offering.
25
Give details e.g. the likely location of specialist facilities, the IT and Library resources
required, the timetabling implications of the proposal and any additional staffing needs,
together with estimated costs. The Support Services concerned should be consulted
for help and advice.
October 2015
Academic Office
26
Complete this box if expenditure of more than £25k is anticipated and specify what this
will be for: in which case, the proposal should be referred to the Capital Steering
Committee before final Planning Approval is granted. Expenditure of less than £25k is
expected to be met from Faculty/Associate College/JV revenue.
27
If another Faculty is involved, please note that the signature of both Deans is required
in section 29.
Sections 28 – 30: Contact Details and Confirmation
28
The Course Proposer name must be added, note if this is someone located outside of
the department e.g. Learning Development Services.
29
The Proposal must have the required signatures (HoD, Deputy Dean (Quality), Dean
and appropriate HE college/JV signatory) before being submitted, to the Faculty Quality
Assurance Officer to check the form has been completed correctly before signing and
submitting to the Quality Assurance Unit in the Academic Office (address below).
30
Proposals will not be considered by CMT or JV Boards unless they have previously
been supported by the Faculty Management Team. Please give the date of the meeting
and note any conditions that the Team may have expressed.
The completed Planning Approval Form should be returned to:
Olivia Sjollema, IQAO, Quality Assurance Unit, Academic Office
2nd Floor Ashby House, Chelmsford
E-mail: olivia.sjollema@anglia.ruskin.ac.uk
Tel: 01245 493131 Ext: 4875
October 2015
Academic Office