Created November 2014 (AL)
Guidance for Departments on Central Services’ Workflows Relevant to the Planning of New Programme
Approvals and the Modification or Withdrawal of Existing Programmes
This guidance is intended to inform departments of the general cycle of work for central services most
involved in/ impacted by the approval, modification or withdrawal of programmes. It is hoped that it will
aid departments with planning the most efficient approvals, modifications and withdrawals.
SECTION/ COMMITTEE
University Teaching Committee
Secretary: jo.fox@york.ac.uk
See also:
QA Contacts
Planning Committee
Secretary:
david.muckersie@york.ac.uk
See also:
Planning Contacts
Student Systems
See:
http://www.york.ac.uk/about/depart
ments/support-and-admin/studentsystems/
Meetings
Meetings are held most months during the year, except summer
vacation.
Final versions of papers are required at least 4 weeks before the
meeting. See link for dates.
Drafts for QA comment should be submitted to the relevant QA
contact as early as possible and can be submitted a number of
times.
BoS/ GSB and Planning Committee (see below) approvals are
required before UTC approval.
UTC – Chair’s Action
Modification requests that can be approved by Chair’s action are
usually turned around in 2-3 weeks, providing all information is
forthcoming and details are confirmed by the department and
other offices that need consulting.
Meetings
Meetings are held most months during the year, except in the
summer vacation.
Planning contacts should be contacted as early as possible for
advice on Planning requirements and documentation.
Final versions of papers are required 1 week before the meeting.
Planning approval is required before UTC approval.
Planning Committee – Chair’s Action
Planning approvals that can be made on Chair’s action are usually
turned around in 2 weeks, providing all information is forthcoming
and details are confirmed by the department and other offices
that need consulting.
Programme approval for next year’s entry should be submitted as
early in the year as possible – especially if complex.
Standard processing of a new programme at times of lower
workload will be approximately one week. At busier times this will
be longer.
If similar programmes are coming in they might be batched for
processing together.
August and September are very busy with compliance and
reporting projects. Programme changes requiring processing
should be avoided during these months wherever possible. Delays
to service can be expected in August and September.
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Created November 2014 (AL)
Student Recruitment and Admissions
https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/externa
l-relations/sra/
Ideally, all changes impacting on admissions should be approved
more than three months before the recruitment cycle opens.
Requests to withdraw programmes mid-admissions cycle when
there are already live offers should be avoided.
Programme title changes should be made before the admissions
cycle starts.
Select (UG and PG):
early July – current programme information is distributed to
Departments for checking/ updating
early August – Department amendments are returned to
Admissions
5th September – Deadline by which Admissions updates Select
programme entries.
Select Downtime – Admissions Cycle Reconciliation
Late September – a week’s down time precedes the opening of the
new cycle to reconcile the old one and switch to the new.
Applications for the next year’s entry
Open from end of September
UCAS (UG)
New programmes are confirmed a year in advance of recruitment
Autumn term – SRA need all programme details for forthcoming
round of recruitment
Jan/ Feb – UCAS is updated on these programmes for next year’s
recruitment
After this point changes to programmes/ entry requirements are
problematic
Jan/ Feb – deadline for withdrawing a programme
Admissions/ Communications
See:
http://www.york.ac.uk/communicatio
ns/publications/
August and September are very busy with recruitment and
admissions processing. Programme changes requiring processing
should be avoided during these months wherever possible. Delays
to service can be expected in August and September.
Prospectus schedule released early October for the prospectuses
for programmes starting in two years’ time (eg in Oct. ‘14 the
schedule is released for the 2016/17 prospectuses)
Undergraduate
Sept – broad layout planned and so any new programmes/
substantial changes need confirming
Christmas – minor changes to content within agreed space to be
confirmed
January to publication end of Feb – Only exceptional changes to be
made
Postgraduate
Feb – broad layout planned and so any new programmes/
substantial changes need confirming
Late May – minor changes to content within agreed space to be
confirmed
Only exceptional changes to be made from then prior to
publication end of July
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Created November 2014 (AL)
Assessment and Examinations
See:
http://www.york.ac.uk/about/depart
ments/support-and-admin/registryservices/exams/
Secretary of SCA: sca@york.ac.uk
Timetabling
See:
http://www.york.ac.uk/campusservic
es/timetabling/contact.html
All modules with closed exams need to be confirmed by the end of
week 3. Closed exams are scheduled in week 4. Otherwise the
team work on the information departments provide on modules
and assessment during the summer months.
Modifications to assessment that might affect students with
individual arrangements need to be approved by SCA and so meet
SCA meeting deadlines.
Oct - Dec: Departmental discussions of the next academic year's
curriculum and any changes. Core modules are agreed (updated
diets by end of Dec) and any new modules being worked through.
Jan - April: Teaching data collection (what is required per module,
normally done on an assumed approval process). Teaching data is
normally in by late Feb.
Returning students select next year's modules. (Thus students
need a completed view of what is on offer (which should match
when they first enrolled)) to make an informed choice.
1st week Easter vacation: Modules usually in.
Late May: First run of the timetable is released
Late June: Timetable published to continuing students before the
formal end of term.
Aug-Sept: Students with choices in stage 1 select these (mainly
prior to arrival, but some PG courses are on arrival). Their
timetable updates as these choices are made.
Specific queries should be directed to the relevant office(s) but any general feedback on this document can
be sent to aso@york.ac.uk.
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