Administrative Arrangements for Collaborative Courses
This handbook sets out the administrative arrangements for collaborative courses of study
managed by the University of Warwick. It aims to clarify procedures for University Course
Co-ordinators, members of Validation and Franchise Groups and other administrative and
clerical staff within the University and its partner institutions.
Any queries about these procedures should be directed to the following staff in the first
instance:
•
•
•
•
For undergraduate franchised courses contact Sally Blakeman (tel: 024 7652 8100).
For undergraduate validated courses contact Catherine Hanley in the Academic
Office (tel: 024 7652 4335).
For postgraduate courses contact the Assistant Registrar (Graduate School)
(tel: 024 76 52 4414)
Director of Academic and Student Affairs, Dr Paul Greatrix (tel: 024 765 74800).
Table of Contents
Page
1. Admission
3
2. Enrolment
5
3. Level 1 and 2 Examination Boards
6
4. Extensions, Temporary and Permanent Withdrawals
7
5. Fees
8
6. Comple tion and Examination
9
7. Graduation and Issue of Certificates
9
8. Course Monitoring and Review
10
9. Staff-Student Liaison Committees
11
10. Academic Complaints and Appeals
12
1.
ADMISSION
(a)
Collaborative courses offered under validated and franchised agreements
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Applications
•
Applications for places on courses of study offered in collaboration with
the University should be made directly to the partner institutions at which
they are taught.
•
Partner institutions should issue their own application forms to candidates
for admissions, but should ensure that they provide the University with
copies as Warwick has a statutory duty to maintain certain categories of
data on all its students whether they are fully registered at the University
or at a partner institution.
•
Applicants should return completed application forms to the partner
organisation rather than the University.
•
References and other supporting information (e.g. transcripts) are an
integral part of any application and should be forwarded to the University
by the partner institution along with the application form.
Entrance Requirements and Offers
•
Candidates for collaborative courses are considered for admission by the
appropriate course selectors within the teaching institution.
•
Applicants are assessed for admission against agreed criteria laid down
in the original course proposal as approved by the University and subject
to any changes in the criteria approved since the course was originally
approved.
•
Subject to approval by the University, the partner institution may make
offers to candidates who meet the approved entry requirements, but copy
applications and supporting information will be checked for any
irregularities. For franchised courses, any queries should be checked
with the Centre for Lifelong Learning prior to issuing any offer. In the case
of 2+2 degrees, the Centre for Lifelong Learning will inform candidates if
they are to be offered a place on the course and request them to return a
slip indicating whether they wish to accept or decline the offer.
Non-Standard Applicants
The admission of candidates who do not satisfy the agreed University
entrance requirements for their course requires approval by the University.
(A)
Undergraduate Courses
•
Non-standard applications must be considered by the University's
Course Co-ordinator before the candidate is offered a place. They
should be forwarded to the University’s Centre for Lifelong
Learning in the first instance.
2
(B)
•
Partner institutions should provide a written case for the
admission of non-standard applicants, including details of any
relevant qualifications or experience. This case will then be sent to
the University’s Course Co -ordinator for approval.
•
The Course Co-ordinator's decision will be communicated to the
partner institution by the Centre for Lifelong Learning.
•
The Centre for Lifelong Learning will inform partner institutions of
the outcome of all non-standard applications for undergraduate or
sub-degree courses.
Postgraduate Courses
Non-standard applications for postgraduate courses must also be
considered by the University’s Course Co-ordinator and a written case
for those who do not meet the normal entrance requirements should be
provided with the application form and supporting documents. The
Course Co-ordinator may:
(iv)
•
Recommend that the candidate be admitted in which case the
Course Co-ordinator will supply a written statement in support of
the application for consideration by the Chair of the Board of
Graduate Studies. Non-standard applicants will normally be
admitted to the postgraduate Diploma in the first instance, with
subsequent upgrade to the Master’s course subject to satisfactory
progress on the course. Any Master’s course upgrade is subject to
the approval of the Course Co-ordinator.
•
Refuse to supp ort the application in which case the Student
Recruitment and Admissions Office will contact the partner
institution to explain the decision. These applications will only be
forwarded to the Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies if the
applicant wishes to appeal against the decision. The decision of
the Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies is final.
•
Request further information from the partner institution such as a
CV for the applicant and a detailed statement on the relevance of
his or her work experience to the course of study in question. The
Course Co-ordinator will contact the partner institution to obtain
the appropriate documents. The Course Co -ordinator will then
reconsider the application and will proceed as detailed above.
•
The Student Recruitment and Admissions Office will inform partner
institutions of the outcome of all non-standard applications for
postgraduate courses.
Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APL/APEL)
The University has procedures in place for the recognition of prior learning
and/or experience in lieu of academic credit. In all cases, Course Co ordinators are required to request evidence of the applicant’s prior experience
and learning and submit this, along with a written report and
recommendation, for consideration by the relevant office. For undergraduate
applicants, cases should be submitted initially to the Centre for Lifelong
3
Learning. For postgraduate applicants, cases should be submitted to the
Chair of the Board of Graduate Studies via the Student Recruitment and
Admissions Office.
(b)
Other collaborative courses
The University’s Academic Registrar’s Office monitors a number of courses which
involve collaboration with external partners, but for which admissions are not
administered in accordance with the provisions outlined above. In most cases,
admissions arrangement for these courses will be as follows:
Applications
•
Applications for places should be made to the University, via the relevant Course
Co-ordinator.
•
A University application form should be used and this will require the provision of
references.
Entry Requirements and Offers
2.
•
Candidates will be assessed against the approved entry requirements for the
courses and formal offers will be issued by the University.
•
Where a Department or School is authorised to issue offers on behalf of the
University, a copy of the full application (including a declaration of any previous
criminal conviction), the offer letter and confirmation that references have been
received, must be forwarded to the Studen t Recruitment and Admissions Office
immediately after enrolment.
ENROLMENT
(a)
Validated Courses
•
Although students on validated courses are not technically fully enrolled with the
University, they are coded onto the University’s student records system to
ensure that enrolments can be monitored effectively. As soon as partner
institutions know who is enrolling for a course they should prepare a list of
names, addresses and dates of birth and submit this to the Student Recruitment
and Admissions Office. Most students will then be asked to enrol online. The
University will write to students with details of how to do this. A small number of
students (primarily where their course starts at a non -standard time of the
academic year) will need to complete hard copy enrolment forms instead.
•
Please note that the University requires the full name of all students to be
enrolled. Abbreviated names are not acceptable as the name on the enrolment
form will be used to generate any certificate issued on successful completion of
the course.
•
The partner institution is responsible for distributing hard copy enrolment forms
or the instructions for use of the online enrolment form to students and should
ask them to either check the pre-printed details or update the online form as
appropriate. Hard copy forms must be checked, collected and returned to
the Academic Office within six weeks of the start of the course.
4
(b)
(c)
Franchised Courses
•
Students on franchised courses are fully enrolled with the University and their
details are recorded on the student records system in the same way as those of
other University students.
•
As the University is responsible for making formal offers to these students, each
student will either be asked to complete an online enrolment form or hard copy
enrolment forms (for students starting at a non-standard time of the year hard
copy enrolment forms will be prepared and sent to partner institutions for
distribution). It is nevertheless important that the partner institution provides a list
of students expected to join a cohort. Enrolment forms can then be batched up
and sent to partner institutions for distribution, or instructions provided for
students being asked to enrol online. Completed forms should be returned to the
Academic Office.
•
University cards which give access to the University Library and other facilities
will be issued once registration forms are completed in full, signed and returned.
Other Collaborative Courses
•
Students on other Warwick courses delivered externally are fully enrolled and
must be properly coded onto student records system.
•
For short courses students must complete enrolment forms prior to starting the
course Enrolment forms must be returned to:
Course
Certificate in Education
Enrolment forms to be sent to:
Jane Brock, Centre for Lifelong
Learning
Tara Cosgrove, Centre for Lifelong
Learning
Academic Office
Warwick Diabetes Care Office,
Warwick Medical School
Diploma in Counselling
Foundation Degrees
Certificate in Primary Diabetes
Care
3.
LEVEL 1 AND 2 EXAMINATION BOARDS
(a)
Validated Courses (including 2+2 degrees)
•
The University Course Co-ordinator is responsible for ensuring that a Level 1 (or
Level 2 for the Diploma in Counselling) Examination Board meets.
•
For the first-year of Level 1 on 2+2 degrees, the partner College Course Co ordinator is responsible for ensuring a Level 1 Examination Board meets.
•
Partner organisations should also keep the Academic Office informed of any
Level 1 or 2 students who withdraw and/or resume study after a period of
withdrawal. Jane Brock should be informed about Certificate in Education and
Foundation Degree withdrawals, Tara Cosgrove for withdrawals from a Diploma
in Counselling and the Academic Office for withdrawals from 2+2 degrees.
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•
(b)
4.
The partner organisation and the University Course Co -ordinator should ensure
that the Academic Office receives a pass list from Level 1 and Level 2
Examination Boards they administer.
Certificate in Education
•
As successful completion of the Bridging Course/Preparatory Term is a
requirement for onward progression on the Certificate in Education course, an
Examination Board should meet to approve this.
•
A list of those progressing should be provided to the Academic Office as soon as
possible after the meeting.
EXTENSIONS, TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT WITHDRAWALS
These procedures apply to all collaborative provision and should be followed carefully:
(a)
(b)
Temporary Withdrawals
•
In cases of illnesses or other difficult personal circumstances, the college Course
Director may request a suspension of a student's enrolment for a period of up to
one year. Temporary withdrawals should only be requested where it is certain
that the student will not continue working on the course during the period
of time for which the suspension is requested.
•
To request a tempora ry withdrawal, the Academic Office requires a written case
for the temporary withdrawal from the College Course Co-ordinator, supporting
documents from the student, and medical notes where appropriate. The
Academic Office will forward these documents to the University Course Co ordinator for approval. The Academic Office will communicate the outcome to
partner organisations. Temporary withdrawals of more than a year's duration will
not normally be considered and requests for an additional suspension if a
student's problems persist will be considered only in very exceptional
circumstances.
•
Requests should normally be submitted to the University before a student
actually suspends his or her studies. If requests are submitted retrospectively,
they will only be considered where there is a clear account of the length of time a
student has actually spent working on the course. The University must ensure
that students complete their studies within the length of time set down in the
Course Regulations.
•
Where the pe riod of temporary withdrawal is granted on medical grounds, the
Academic Office will request medical certification of the student’s fitness to return
to the course six weeks prior to their expected return date, and forwarded
confidentially for approval of the certification will be considered by the
University’s Occupational Health Physician.
Extensions
•
Extensions are only used once a student has completed his or her period of fee paying enrolment. They enable the student to request additional time for a
dissertation or coursework to be completed.
6
(c)
•
Requests for extensions to the length of a course require the College Course Co ordinator to provide a written case, with supporting documents from the student
and medical notes where appropriate; the written case to include the reason(s)
for the extension, its proposed start and end dates and the amount of work
already completed.
•
Requests should be made as soon as it is clear that a student will not be able to
complete on time. Extensions run from the date a course is due to end and will
not normally be granted for more than six months. It is not necessary to wait for
an Examination Board before submitting extension requests.
•
Requests will be considered by the University Course Co-ordinator and decisions
communicated to partner organisations by the Academic Office.
•
In the case of the Certificate in Education programmes, extensions (deferrals)
will normally be recommended by the Course Tutor for two weeks in the first
instance. Tutors should obtain a written case for the deferral with appropriate
supporting documents. His or her recommendation should then be put to the
University Course Co -ordinator for approval. Deferrals of over two weeks will be
granted only in exceptional circumstances and must be approved by the
Franchise Group in addition to the University Course Co -ordinator.
Withdrawals
•
If a student decides to withdraw permanently from a course of study the
University Course Co-ordinator should inform the Academic Office immediately.
•
A reason for the withdrawal should be provided and the date when the student
left the course.
•
This information is important because it enables the University to invoice for the
correct number of students. It is also vital in cases where students may,
exceptionally, wish to resume their studies at a later date.
Individual students or members of staff at partner institutions are invited to contact
Catherine Hanley in the Academic Office directly (tel: 024 7652 4335) if they wish for further
information on temporary withdrawals, extensions or permanent withdrawals.
5.
FEES
(a)
(b)
Validated Courses
•
Fees for validated courses are levied as a one-off block charge for up to 13
students in any one cohort. An additional charge will be made for each student
over the number of 13. The University will notify institutions of the fee for the
following year at least three months in advance.
•
The Academic Office will not normally issue an invoice until 3 months after the
course has started, to allow numbers to stabilise.
Franchised Courses
•
Fees for all franchised courses are set by the DfES.
7
6.
As soon as fees are set, the Academic Office will write to partner colleges with
details each year of the payment the University will make for each student.
•
A first instalment will be paid 3 months after initial registrations to the course
have been coded.
•
Where it is due, a second instalment will be paid 5 months after the initial
registration period for the course.
•
Any enquiries about the fee structure or invoicing arrangements should be made
to the Academic Office in the first instance.
COMPLETION AND EXAMINATION
•
The University Course Co-ordinator should ensure that pass lists, including those from
Level 1 and 2 Examination Boards, and the minutes of Examination Boards are sent to
the Examinations Section of the Academic Office as soon as possible. For the Diploma
in Counselling, a copy should be forwarded to Tara Cosgrove and to Jane Brock for the
Certificate in Education and Foundation Degrees.
•
External Examiners' reports will be sent to the Vice -Chancellor’s Office in the first
instance and will be forwarded to heads of Validation or Franchise Groups/Heads of
Department. Course Co -ordinators are reminded that it is their responsibility to:
(a)
(b)
(c)
7.
•
Circulate the reports to partner institutions
Ensure their discussion at an early Validation or Franchise Group meeting
See that any action points are followed through.
•
External Examiners’ reports will be considered by the University’s Partnerships and
Distance Learning Sub-Committee, which will liaise as necessary with University
departments and partner institutions over matters arising.
•
Information for External Examiners is available from the University’s Intranet site at
www2.Warwick.ac.uk/services/cap/skills/examiners.
GRADUATION AND ISSUE OF CERTIFICATES
•
Where a course leads to the award of a University degree, the Academic Office will
ensure that all students in their final year are invited to the relevant Degree
Congregation. Degree Congregations take place at the end of January and in mid-July
each year. Certificates are normally issued during degree ceremonies. Any candidate
who wishes to graduate in absentia will be sent their degree certificate within four weeks
of the relevant ceremony taking place.
•
Staff from partner institutions who wish to attend Degree Congregation are welcome to
do so. Invitations are issued from the Degree Congregation team within the Academic
Office and enquiries specifically related to degree ceremonies should be made to that
team (tel: 024 765 28102).
•
There is no award ceremony at the University for Diploma or Certificate courses.
Partner institutions and academic departments are at liberty to arrange their own
certificate presentation ceremonies. The Degree Congregation team arranges the
production of award certificates. The partner institution should let the Degree
Congregation team know whether certificates should be issued directly to students or
sent to the partner institution for issue. If a presentation ceremony is to take place at the
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partner institution, the Degree Congregation team should be advised of the date of this
ceremony at least two months in advance.
8.
COURSE MONITORING AND REVIEW
For all collaborative courses, the key role of University staff is to ensure that the academic
standards of the course s are, and continue to be, of the highest possible level, and that
they justify the award of a University qualification.
Since the publication of the Quality Assurance Agency’s Code of Practice for Collaborative
Provision (1999), the University has reviewed its guidance notes on course monitoring and
review. These documents are available from the Teaching Quality team. They are also
available on the University’s Teaching Quality website at www.warwick.ac.uk/go/quality.
All courses are normally reviewed by the University on a five year cycle to ensure and
enhance quality. Partner institutions are nevertheless expected to pursue robust quality
assurance procedures of their own, which are expected to include an Annual Course
Review, for which the University requires the submission of a formal Annual Course Review
report in the format set out in the University template, also sent to University Course Co ordinators and appropriate college staff annually and available on the Teaching Quality
website.
The University has developed a ‘statement of expectation’ concerning the operation of
Annual Course Review in partner institutions, which is as follows:
•
The course team convenes to consider qualitative and quantitative data underpinning
Annual Review e.g. SSLC feedback; module review; admissions and progression
statistics, (see the Information Pack on the Review of Courses of Study, section 7 of the
Quality Handbook, October 2003, online at
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/insite/info/quality/courseapproval/).
•
A representative of the course team completes the Annual Course Review report form
for consideration by the rest of the course tea m and signs off the final draft.
•
The Annual Course Review report is submitted by the course team to the management
of the partner institution (copied to the University Course Convenor).
•
The partner institution management considers the Annual Course Review report and
either approves it and forwards it to the University for consideration by the Partnerships
and Distance Learning Sub -Committee or pursues issues arising from the report with
the course team. If queries are pursued, these should be set out in formal
correspondence, and a formal response from the course team should be provided.
•
The Annual Course Review report (together with associated correspondence where
appropriate) is forwarded to the Secretary to the Partnerships and Distance Learning
Sub -Committee and copied to the University Course Convenor for information.
•
The Secretary to the Partnerships and Distance Learning Sub-Committee circulates the
Annual Course Review report to PDLSC members for its next meeting (the usual
deadline for submission of undergraduate reports is 1 st December and early January for
postgraduate reports).
•
Reports are considered by the PDLSC and either approved or queried with the
University Course Convenor and/or the partner institution management as appropriate.
9
Liaison between the University and partner institutions will be conducted through formal
correspondence.
•
The Secretariat to the PDLSC drafts a composite Annual Course Review report
covering all collaborative provision following consideration of individual reports by the
PDLSC, for scrutiny by the Academic Quality and Standards Committee.
Deadlines for the submission of Annual Course Review reports:
Undergraduate Annual Course Review reports: 1 December
Postgraduate Annual Course Review reports: early January
9.
STAFF-STUDENT LIAISON COMMITTEES
All partner institutions are expected to establish a Staff-Student Liaison Committee (SSLC)
as well as other appropriate mechanisms for student feedback. The Course Co-ordinators
or the nominated Academic Convenor of the SSLC is required to complete an Annual
Report, which should be approved by the SSLC or student Chair, and submitted to the
University’s Teaching Quality team in the Academic Office. Matters of concern will then be
passed on to the relevant University Committee.
Principles underpinning SSLC arrangements in partner institutions
•
Staff-Student Liaison Committees constitute an important formal channel through which
the views of students on academic matters may be communicated. Discussion should
focus on te aching, learning and student support issues. An SSLC should be informed of
any major changes to the curriculum and syllabus. The Staff-Student Liaison Committee
shall not consider matters relating to individual named member of staff or a student’s
personal grievances.
•
The Chair of the SSLC should be a student representative; the Chair in collaboration
with the Academic Convenor is responsible for establishing an agenda for meetings.
•
SSLCs should meet regularly; ideally no less than four times a year. Dive rgence from
this practice should only occur when justification in terms of the structure and delivery of
the course may be provided and alternate arrangements for on-going feedback from
students are demonstrably in place.
•
Departments should report back to SSLCs on action being taken as a result of
feedback. This includes disseminating information obtained from student feedback,
discussing issues raised by the feedback and publicising the action resulting from
student feedback. It is important that a positive culture exists in which the department
makes explicit its commitment to listening to and responding to students’ views.
Students in turn have a responsibility to treat the process seriously and thoughtfully.
•
The SSLC system constitutes the mechanism for evaluating student feedback and for
identifying trends across courses offered by the University. Progress on issues
identified throughout the year and in previous years should be summarised in an Annual
Report and considered by the appropriate Board/Committee and the University’s SSLC
Co-ordinators.
Deadlines for SSLC Annual Reports
Undergraduate or below graduate level: 13 May 2005
Postgraduate courses: 15 July 2005
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Forms on which to complete SSLC Annual Reports are available from the SSLC web page
at www.warwick.ac.uk/go/quality/sslc.
10.
ACADEMIC COMPLAINTS AND APPEALS
Students on validated courses who wish to make an academic complaint or academic
appeal should be advised to follow the relevant procedure of the validation institution.
These procedures form part of the validation agreement between the validated institution
and the University.
Students on franchised or other collaborative courses who are fully enrolled students of the
University who wish to raise an academic appeal will follow the University’s appeals
procedure as set out in the appropriate Regulations of the University Calendar, which can
be found on the University’s Website.
If a student wishes to raise a complaint about academic provision, teaching or learning
issues, this should be via the University’s Academic Complaints Procedure
(http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/academicoffice/feedback/complain/). The complaint should
initially be considered by the Course Co-ordinator in the teaching institution, to be referred
to the University if the complaint cannot be resolved at this stage.
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