Owner: Director of Marketing & Communications
Version: 3
Date of last review: August 2015
Effective date: October 2015 (for 2015-16 Academic Year)
Due for review: August 2016
This document is part of a revised series of Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures which govern the University’s academic provision. Each document has a unique document number to indicate which section of the series it belongs to.
1.
1.1
SCOPE AND PURPOSE
The procedure set out below is designed to ensure that published information about BU’s portfolio of courses (also referred to below as programmes or frameworks) is accurate and comprehensive. The procedure ensures the effective flow of information across the University and ensures that programmes can be publicised externally in a timely fashion.
1.2 Furthermore, the procedure ensures the University is compliant with Competition and Markets
Authority (CMA) guidelines and that changes made to programmes are recorded and where required, communicated to prospective and current students.
1.3 In cases where it is necessary for the University to close or suspend a programme for a given period, applicants and offer holders will be notified immediately by the Admissions Teams with guidance from CML team and given the option of withdrawing their application, accepting their offer or considering alternatives as suggested by Admissions Teams or Partner.
1.4 Programme viability review points have been established in line with key points of the recruitment cycle and to support recruitment of international students, including those on presessional English and pathway programmes at BU International College. Adherence to the timescales is an essential element of maintaining the University’s Highly Trusted Status with the Home Office.
1.5 The procedure is in two parts:
Part One: Admissions
This section outlines the process for communicating changes about BU’s portfolio of programmes, during an admissions cycle.
Part Two: Programme approval, review and review for closure
This s ection outlines the process for communicating changes about BU’s portfolio of programmes which are undergoing review, approval as new programmes or formal closure.
1.6 The following nomenclature will be used:
Programme Closed: Programme has been formally closed after Review for Closure process with Educational Development and Quality.
Programme Suspended: Recruitment to the programme is on hold for current recruitment cycle (for example, unable to meet target or pending closure review).
Programme Full: Programme will meet recruitment targets for current cycle, and will no longer accept new applicants . This may be for particular cohorts (eg international), or all.
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2.
Any other changes required to existing publicity materials that are not covered by the description above (ie start date, new mode of delivery), are managed through the processes referred to in the BU Communications Policy [in draft at time of writing].
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Education Development &
Quality (EDQ)
Oversee and manage all reviews, approvals, reviews for closure and modifications in close liaison with
Faculties/Partners.
Update all marketing material, including the website and external listings including UCAS and communicate to enquirers.
EU/OS students - communicate changes to programme to applicants.
Marketing & Communications
(M&C); Corporate Marketing &
Liaison (CML) team;
International Marketing &
Student Recruitment (IMSR) team.
Faculties/Academic
Partnerships – Academic
Administration Manager
(AAM)/Deputy Dean Education
& Professional Practice
(DDEPP)
Student Administration (SA);
Head of Admissions (HoA).
Inform all relevant parties of the status of programmes on offer within the Faculty/Partner.
Communicate changes to programmes to UK applicants and all current students.
BU Central Admissions Team
(BUCAT)
Admissions Teams
Admissions: maintain master spreadsheet on the admissions status of programmes.
Liaise with Faculties/Academic Partnerships on the status of programmes within an admissions cycle.
Student Records Team: responsible for the setup and maintenance of all core curriculum data in the student records system to feed key systems & processes such as course search, online applications and the enrolments process.
Oversees and approves the closure of courses (or suspension of recruitment due to non-viability or the programme is full), within the cycle as well as programme entry requirements.
Faculty Admissions Team responsible for communication to UK applicants.
International Admissions Team responsible for communication to EU/OS applicants.
Monitor the recruitment to programmes at risk of nonviability on a monthly basis.
Academic Administration Team
(AAT)
Academic Partnerships Liaise with BU International College (BUINTCOL) on the recruitment status of courses which hold BUINTCOL
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applicants.
3. LINKS TO OTHER BU DOCUMENTS
3B – Admissions (Taught Programmes): Policy and Procedure
3C – Corporate Recruitment Procedures
4A – Programme Approval, Review and Closure: Policy and Procedure
4B – Programme and Unit Modifications: Policy and Procedure
Communications Policy (draft subject to approval by ULT, autumn 2015)
M&C Course Comms actions
Clearing procedures
PART ONE: ADMISSIONS MAIN CYCLE
4.
4.1
ACTIONS FOR PROGRAMME(S) SUSPENDED
In accordance with the viability review points approved annually by BUCAT,
Faculties/Partners provide BUCAT/AAT with regular updates on the recruitment to courses at risk of significant under recruitment and therefore subject to viability review.
4.2 Faculties (DDEPP/AAM)/Academic Partnerships present a business case to BUCAT (or HoA as delegate) for the suspension of recruitment due to non-viability.
4.3 Once BUCAT has approved suspension for non-viability BUCAT to inform Admissions,
Student Records Team and CML team.
4.4
4.5
SA(HoA) logs decision on master spreadsheet.
CML team update all relevant on and offline material as specified in the process document
‘ M&C Course Comms actions’.
4.6 Applicants and offer holders will be notified (within 3 days) by the Admissions Teams with guidance from CML team and given the option of withdrawing their application, acceptance or considering alternatives as suggested by the Admissions Teams or Partner.
4.7 AAMs/Academic Partnerships to ensure that, when necessary, the UCAS Discontinued
Courses Process is followed, for UG full time programmes only.
4.8 For programmes which are a progression route for BUINTCOL applicants, Academic
Partnerships, working with IMSRT will inform BUINTCOL. BUINTCOL will assist their students with other opportunities at BU (where possible).
4.9 For all programmes applicants will be informed by the Admissions Teams about their choices once the decision to suspend has been taken in a manner which supports the student/applicant experience and follows the principles of service excellence.
5. ACTIONS FOR PROGRAMME FULL
5.1 Academic Services (HoA) provide BUCAT/AAT with regular updates on the recruitment to programmes which will reach or exceed target.
5.2 Faculties (DDEPP/AAM)/Academic Partnerships present a business case to BUCAT (or HoA as delegate) for programmes considered full.
5.3 For undergraduate programmes:
5.3.1 Post 15 Jan deadline and before UCAS Extra opens, HoA will confirm with AAMs which programmes are open for UCAS late and UCAS Extra applicants.
5.3.2 During the UCAS late cycle, programmes can remain open to late applicants but
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closed to UCAS Extra applicants.
5.3.3 Once UCAS Extra has commenced, the process set out here is used.
6.2
5.4 Once BUCAT has approved programme status BUCAT to inform Admissions Teams, Student
Records Team and M&C.
SA (HoA) logs decision on master spreadsheet. 5.5
5.6
5.7 students already enrolled at BUINTCOL on a pathway programme are included in the recruitment statistics; therefore current BUINTCOL students are unaffected).
PART TWO
6. PROGRAMME APPROVAL, REVIEWS AND REVIEW FOR CLOSURE (see 4A –
Programme Approval, Review and Closure: Policy of Procedure )
NEW PROGRAMMES
Academic Partnerships, working with IMSR team will inform BUINTCOL when a programme is full as the change in recruitment status will affect the recruitment of additional students (NB
6.1
CML team update all relevant on and offline material as specified in the process document
‘ M &C Course Comms actions’ .
Programme Development Proposal form completed by the development leader in the Faculty and submitted to Faculty Exec and then to Faculty Academic Board (FAB) for agreement to proceed. Following agreement by FAB, Faculty submits the Programme Development
Proposal form to EDQ (ASC Clerk) for the next meeting of ASC.
ASC considers all proposals submitted and EDQ records the date of those approved on the
Evaluation Activity spreadsheet within 48 hours of the ASC meeting.
6.3 ASC clerk sends an email within three working days of the meeting to the Faculties, Academic
Partnerships (where appropriate) and CML team confirming which proposals have been approved for development.
6.4 CML team add the programme to the ‘expressions of interest’ page on the website (within three working days) to allow potential applicants to register their initial interest in a new programme before it is approved.
6.5 Once any conditions set at the External Panel meeting have been met, EDQ sends a ‘final approval’ email to the Faculty, Academic Partnerships (where appropriate), the Student
Records Team, CML team and Placements and Careers to inform them that the programme has been approved.
6.6 The Faculty submits final versions of the Programme Specification and Unit Specifications to
EDQ within two weeks of receiving final approval, copying in the Student Records Team, CML team and Library and Learning Support to enable the student records system and library reading lists to be updated.
6.7 On receipt of final documents from the Faculty, EDQ uploads the final Programme
Specification to SharePoint so that it can be linked to, from the course search profile by CML team at point 6.9 below.
6.8 The Student Records Team creates the programme in SITS within 48 hours of receiving the completed documentation from the Faculty.
6.9 On receipt of final documents CML team will create the course profile on the BU website and once built in SITS and available in Drupal (CMS) will publish the course search entry (within
48 hrs).
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6.10 CML team will create a UCAS course profile where appropriate (within 48 hours of receiving the documentation).
6.11 CML team will update external websites as outlined in the process document ‘ M&C Course
Comms actions ’, within 5 days.
6.12 CML team will remove the programme from the ‘expressions of interest’ page and contact potential applicants who have registered their interest to inform them they may now apply to the programme, within 5 days.
6.13 For UG programmes once a UCAS code is received from UCAS, CML team will inform
Student Records Team to update in SITS which will feed into course search.
6.14 If for any reason the programme is not approved EDQ will inform CML team who will update the ‘expressions of interest’ page and communicate to potential applicants (within 5 days).
EXISTING PROGRAMME CHANGING ITS TITLE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEW
6.15 Programme Development Proposal form completed by the development leader in the Faculty and submitted to Faculty Exec and then Faculty Academic Board (FAB) for agreement to proceed. Following agreement by FAB, Faculty submits the Programme Development
Proposal form to EDQ (ASC Clerk) for the next meeting of ASC.
6.16 ASC considers all proposals submitted and EDQ records the date of those approved on the
Evaluation Activity spreadsheet within 48 hours of the ASC meeting.
6.17 ASC clerk sends an email within three working days of the meeting to the Faculties, Academic
Partnerships (where appropriate) and CML team confirming which changes of programme title have been approved for development.
6.18 CML team update course search (within 48 hours) to add a statement at the top of the course page to highlight the new title and to inform potential applicants that the programme is currently under review.
6.19 Once any conditions set at the External Panel meeting have been met, EDQ sends a ‘final approval’ email to the Faculty, Academic Partnerships (where appropriate), the Student
Records Team, CML team and Placements and Careers to inform them that the programme has been approved.
6.20 The Faculty submits final versions of the Programme Specification and Unit Specifications to
EDQ within two weeks of receiving final approval, copying in the Student Records Team, CML team and Library and Learning Support to enable the student records system and library reading lists to be updated.
6.21 On receipt from the Faculty, EDQ uploads the final Programme Specification to SharePoint so that it can be linked to, from the course search profile.
6.22 The Student Records Team creates the programme in SITS within 48 hours of receiving completed documentation from Faculties.
6.23 On receipt of ‘final approval’ email, the Admissions Teams will communicate significant changes made to the programme to current applicants (within 3 days) and CML Team will contact all relevant enquirers within the last 6 months (within 5 days) to communicate changes.
6.24 On receipt of final documents, CML team to update course search with the new title and once built in SITS and available in Drupal (CMS) will publish the course search entry, remove the review statement, update the programme content to reflect the revised curriculum and outline any significant changes in the online archive.
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6.25 If for any reason the new programme title is not approved EDQ will inform Student Records
Team and CML team who will update course search.
PROGRAMME CLOSURE
6.26 The Faculty DDEPP informs EDQ of the intention to close a programme and it is added to the
Evaluation Activity spreadsheet . The process outlined in Section 8 of 4A – Programme
Approval, Review and Closure: Policy and Procedure is then initiated.
If a programme is to close CML team checks its status on course search and liaises with the
Faculty accordingly. Programmes which are to close have normally already had recruitment suspended by the time EDQ is informed. If recruitment to the programme has not been suspended the Faculty liaises with CML team and BUINTCOL so they can update all relevant on and offline material as specified in the process document ‘ M&C Course Comms actions ’.
6.27 The Faculty must consider whether the programme to be closed has been marketed for a start date after the now proposed closing date and what steps are in place to communicate with applicants or potential applicants to this programme. If applications have already been made for a start date after the proposed closing date, the arrangements for these applicants must be outlined in the Briefing document for the Review for Closure.
6.28 The Faculty must also consider whether any students that are studying a pathway at BU
International College (BUINTCOL) may be holding an offer for the programme to be closed and what steps are in place to communicate with applicants to this programme. If applications have already been made for a start date after the proposed closing date, the arrangements for these applicants must be outlined in the Briefing document for the Review for Closure.
6.29 If students are still enrolled on the programme EDQ arranges a Review for Closure meeting with the Faculty/Partner.
6.30 If there are no students enrolled EDQ informs the Faculty, Academic Partnerships (where
7. appropriate), SA, CML team and Placements and Careers that the programme has been formally closed.
6.31 Once any conditions set by the Review for Closure panel have been met EDQ informs the
Faculty, Academic Partnerships (where appropriate), SA, CML team and Placements and
Careers that the programme has undergone a review for closure. These programmes will remain ‘live’ in the student record system until all students have completed, transferred or withdrawn from the programme.
PROGRAMME AND UNIT MODIFICATIONS
Policy and Procedure )
(See 4B – Programme and Unit Modifications:
7.1 Programme Teams normally submit modifications to programmes to the January/February
Faculty Academic Standards Committee (FASC) using the Programme Modification form.
FASC considers the modifications submitted and once approved the FASC secretary completes section 3 of the Programme Modification form and saves it in the relevant Faculty modification folder. EDQ maintains a central record of modifications on the modifications log.
The modifications folders and log are saved here .
7.2 EDQ sends an approval email to the Faculty, the Student Records Team and CML team to confirm which modifications have been approved.
7.3 The Faculty submits updated versions of the Programme Specification and/or Unit
Specifications to EDQ within two weeks of receiving final approval, copying in the Student
Records Team and Library and Learning Support to enable the student records system and library reading lists to be updated.
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7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
On receipt from the Faculty, EDQ uploads the final Programme Specification to SharePoint so that it can be linked to, from the course search profile.
On receipt of ‘final approval’ email, Admissions Teams to communicate significant changes made to the programme to current applicants (within 3 days).
On receipt of ‘final approval’ email and communication of significant changes from the
Faculty, CML team update all relevant on and offline material as specified in the process document ‘ M&C Course Comms actions’ and add a list outlining any significant changes in the online archive.
SA maintains the student record system to ensure all modifications are reflected appropriately.
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