Nottingham Trent University Quality Handbook Supplement
Requirements for a Multi-Centre Collaborative Framework
QHS SB
10
Requirements for a Multi-Centre
Collaborative Framework
Document
1. Introduction
1.1
A Multi-Centre Collaborative Framework document needs to be prepared by a
School working with more than one Centre for delivery of the same course, often
through a consortium arrangement. It should represent a shared understanding by
the School and all the Centres of the mechanisms through which the collaboration
will operate. The collaborative framework document should demonstrate that:
a.
the School and the partners have proposed appropriate systems to manage the
quality and standards of the collaborative provision, within the context of
University policy;
b.
the respective roles and responsibilities within the collaborative arrangement
are clear, appropriate and understood by both the School and the Centres.
This should include clear lines of reporting and feedback mechanisms;
c.
the minimum requirements for communication between the School and the
Centres are agreed, and the purpose for that communication is clear within the
context of managing the quality and standard of the collaborative provision.
1.2
Detailed below are the requirements for the Multi-Centre Collaborative Framework
Document, giving an indication of what each section should include. The
framework should set out the principles for operation, and the responsibilities of
each partner. Schools are welcome to include any additional information in support
of the proposed collaboration.
1.3
Please note that where course approval is being considered at the same time as
the collaborative arrangement, this document will replace the quality management
section of the course Contextual Document.
1.4
There will be different requirements for different types of collaborations. Where
requirements are only applicable to a certain type of collaboration, for example
franchise, this is indicated in the template below. Definitions of the different types
of collaborations can be found in Quality Handbook Supplement (QHS) SB1. The
framework should be proportionate to the type of collaboration.
1.5
The approved Collaborative Framework Document should be utilised by the School
and the Centres to inform the day to day operation of the collaboration. As such, it
should be regularly reviewed by the School to ensure it remains current and in
order.
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1.6
When this document is being used as part of a review, the previous Collaborative
Framework Document should be updated by the School to include changes at
School and Centre level.
1.7
The Centres will be preparing Centre Documents at the same time as the School
prepares the Collaborative Framework Document. It is important that all partners
in the collaboration share and iterate on these documents.
1.8
The main body of the Framework will set out the principles of operation for all
Centres. Where there are different requirements for a specific Centre, these
should be set out in an appendix to the Framework.
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2. Collaborative Framework Document
Details of the collaboration
NTU School:
Collaborative
Partners:
Please list all partners to which the Framework applies
Course(s):
Dual Degree
awards:
Course Title Awarded by
NTU:
Course Title Awarded by the
Partners:
Please list the course title awarded by each Centre
Interim awards:
Please indicate any interim awards available to NTU and partner students
Type of
collaboration:
Please select from the list below:

Joint Delivery

Consortium

Joint Degree
See Quality Handbook Supplement CP1 for details of the different types of collaborations
Delivery Model:
Specify how many of the credits are to be delivered by NTU and each of the partners respectively, and the total
number of credits and the duration of the course(s) in total.
The School should indicate at which Centre delivery takes places at different points in the course.
Section One: Collaborative Health
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A. Strategy and context for the collaboration
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. The School’s rationale for the collaboration
a. Each partner’s rationale for the collaboration
b. Why the School wishes to work with each Centre
b. Why each partner wishes to work with Nottingham Trent
University (NTU)
c. How the proposal fits with University and School Strategy
d. Benefits of the collaboration for the University, staff and students
c. How the proposal fits with the partner’s strategy
Note: It may be more appropriate to provide these details in
Centre specific appendices to the main framework document
B. Operation of the collaboration
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Course Co-ordinator
Course Co-ordinator (or equivalent role)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Name of the current or proposed course co-ordinator(s) and
whether this is the same for each partner
a. Name of the current or proposed course co-ordinator (or
equivalent role) at each Centre.
b. Arrangements for communication between co-ordinators where
there is more than one
b. Number and nature of any visits by the partner to NTU in each
academic year
c. Number and nature of any proposed visits to each Partner in each
academic year
c. Arrangements for production and consideration of the course
co-ordinator report, where applicable
d. Arrangements for production and consideration of the course coordinator reports – one per Centre
d. Principles and arrangements for communication with the
Nottingham Trent University course co-ordinator(s)
e. Principles and arrangements for communication with the partners
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Module Leaders
Module Leaders (or equivalent role)
a. Principles and arrangements for communication between module
leaders and the partner, where applicable
a. Principles and arrangements for communication between
module leaders (or equivalent) and NTU, where applicable
C. Operation of the course(s)
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Course variations
Course variations
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Details of, and rationale for, any variation to an existing NTU
course, including local contextualisation, if appropriate
a. Details of, and rationale for, any variation to an existing NTU
course (or partner course, in the case of joint and dual
degrees), including local contextualisation, if appropriate
b. Mechanisms for communication of changes to an NTU course to the
partners
Applicable to joint degrees only:
c. Mechanisms for ensuring continued course coherence and quality
enhancement
b. Mechanisms for agreeing changes to courses during the
operation of the collaboration (see guidelines on changes to
courses in QHS 5B)
Applicable to joint degrees only:
c. Mechanism for communication of changes to a partner course
to NTU
d. Mechanisms for ensuring continued course coherence and
quality enhancement
Admissions
Admissions
Applicable to joint delivery only:
Applicable to joint delivery only:
a. Any responsibility for operation of the admissions process
a. Any responsibility of the partner for operation of the
admissions process
Where the partners have responsibility for admissions:
a. Any variation to the approved NTU entry requirements to suit the
Applicable to joint degrees and consortium only:
a. Clarification of which admissions criteria will apply, and any
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b. Mechanisms for approving changes to entry requirements, and
communication of changes to NTU entry requirements to the
partners
b. Location of decisions about admissions (partners and/or NTU)
c. Mechanisms for approving non-standard admissions
d. Requirements for informing NTU (and other partners) about
admissions decisions, where appropriate
d. Arrangements for monitoring admissions at the partners, including
ensuring NTU admissions requirements are complied with
c. Mechanisms for joint decisions about admissions
e. Mechanisms for informing NTU about changes to admissions
criteria which impact upon the NTU award
e. Arrangements for APL/APEL
Applicable to joint degrees and consortium only:
a. Clarification of which admissions criteria will apply, and any joint
admissions criteria
b. Location of decisions about admissions (NTU and/or partners)
c. Mechanisms for any joint decisions about admissions
d. Mechanisms for informing the partners about admissions decisions,
where appropriate
e. Mechanisms for informing the partners about changes to
admissions criteria which impact the upon partner’s award
f. Mechanisms for agreeing changes to the admissions criteria, where
applicable
Enrolment and registration
Enrolment and registration
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Which partner is responsible for enrolment and registration of
students
a. Which partner is responsible for enrolment and registration of
students
b. Arrangements for enrolment and registration, where applicable
b. Arrangements for enrolment and registration, where applicable
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Progression and transition
Progression and transition
Applicable to joint degrees and consortium only:
Applicable to joint degrees and consortium only:
a. The point at which students transfer to the partners
a. The point at which students transfer to NTU
b. Arrangements for transfer to the partners, where applicable
b. Arrangements for transfer to NTU
c. Support for transition to the partners, where applicable
c. Support for transition to NTU
d. Any requirements for progression, for example, having passed all
NTU modules.
d. Any requirements for progression, for example, having passed
all modules at the partners
Section Two: Maintenance of Academic Standards
A. Governance
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for oversight of the collaboration in the School, for
example, through SASQC or other School specific committees
a. Governance arrangements, at each Centre, for oversight of the
collaboration
b. Arrangements for consideration of course co-ordinator and
external examiner reports
b. Arrangements for consideration of course co-ordinator and
external examiner reports
c. Any joint governance arrangements
c. Any joint governance arrangements
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to joint delivery only:
a. Role of the NTU course committee, if applicable
a. Composition of the course committee (or equivalent)
b. Any joint course committees
b. Function of the course committee (or equivalent)
c. Relationship to the NTU course committee, where applicable
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Applicable to consortium and joint degrees only:
a. Arrangements for joint course committees, if required
B. Annual Monitoring
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to consortium only:
Applicable to joint delivery only:
a. Mechanisms for joint monitoring and reporting on an annual
basis.
a. Responsibility in relation to annual monitoring of the course(s)
b. Arrangements for monitoring the comparability of standards
across all the partners
Applicable to joint delivery only:
b. Mechanisms for contributing to annual monitoring, where
applicable
Applicable to joint degrees, and consortium only:
a.
Responsibility for joint annual monitoring of the course(s)
a. Arrangements for joint monitoring and reporting on an annual
basis.
b.
Mechanisms for contributing to joint annual monitoring, where
applicable
b. Arrangements for monitoring the comparability of standards,
where the course is delivered both at NTU and offsite
c.
Arrangements for monitoring comparability of standards at the
different institutions
Applicable to joint degrees only:
a. Arrangements for joint annual monitoring of the provision, where
applicable
b. Arrangements for monitoring comparability of standards at the
two institutions
C. Teaching and learning
Nottingham Trent University
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for delivery of the course, or part of the course (if
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Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for delivery of the course, or part of the course (if
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b. Language of delivery (if NTU is delivering)
b. Language of delivery (if the partners are delivering)
c. Mechanisms for provision of course materials to the partners,
where applicable
Applicable to consortium and joint delivery only:
d. Teaching and learning materials to be provided to the partners, if
any
a. Evidence of understanding of NTU and the course(s) teaching
and learning strategies
e. Use of NOW, where applicable
b. Arrangements for the development of appropriate teaching
materials (where these are not provided by NTU)
f. Access to NTU electronic library
c. Use of NOW, where applicable
Applicable to joint degrees only:
a. Arrangements for any joint or shared delivery
D. Assessment strategies, practices and processes
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for assessment (if any)
a. Responsibility for assessment (if any)
b. Language of assessment (if undertaken by NTU)
b. Language of assessment (if undertaken by the partners)
c. Arrangements for moderation of assessment, where this is being
undertaken by NTU
c. Arrangements for moderation of assessment, where this is being
undertaken by the partners
d. Arrangements for moderation, where the language of assessment
is not English
Applicable to consortium and joint delivery only:
a. Any planned staff development in relation to assessment
e. Mechanisms for providing assessment details to the partners,
where applicable
b. Timing of assessment
f. Mechanisms for approving details of assessment, where this is
different to the NTU assessment, if applicable
c. Mechanisms for agreeing details of assessment where this is
different to the NTU assessment (for example in the case of
contextualisation of assessment)
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g. Mechanisms for consideration of notification of exceptional
circumstances and academic irregularities, where this is being
undertaken by NTU. To include details of where NTU processes
apply or otherwise
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d. Mechanisms for consideration of notification of exceptional
circumstances
e. Mechanisms for management of academic irregularities
Applicable to joint degrees only:
a. Details of the consideration of notification of exceptional
circumstances and academic irregularities for assessment
undertaken by the partners
E. External Examining
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for external examining of the provision, including
whether an existing external will examine the provision at each
Centre, or whether a new external will be appointed
a. Mechanisms for the operation of the external examining
arrangements, including facilitation of a site visit, or provision of
samples of work to NTU.
b. Mechanisms for operation of the external examining
arrangements, including potential visits to the partners to
scrutinise assessed work
b. Arrangements for consideration of the external examiner report
c. Arrangements for nomination, appointment and induction of
external examiners, including any joint arrangements
d. Arrangements for external examiner reporting, including whether
a separate report on the collaboration is required, and sharing
reports with the partners
c. Processes for quality enhancement as a result of external
examiner feedback
Applicable to joint degrees only:
a. Facilitation of joint external examining arrangements, where
applicable
e. Mechanisms for responding to the external examiner report
f. Mechanisms for publication of the external examiner report
Applicable to joint degrees:
a. Outline of which elements of the provision the external examiner
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will cover (note anything contributing to an NTU award should be
externally examined)
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F. Student achievement
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Boards of Examiners
Boards of Examiners
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for Boards of Examiners (where these are held at
NTU)
a. Arrangements for Boards of Examiners (where these are held at
the partners)
b. Principles of attendance at the partners Boards of Examiners, if
applicable
b. Principles of attendance at the NTU Boards of Examiners, if
applicable
c. Responsibility for production of Boards of Examiners’ materials,
including results spreadsheets, if applicable
c. Responsibility for production of Boards of Examiners’ materials,
including results spreadsheets, if applicable
d. Mechanisms for the provision of student grades to the partners,
where appropriate
d. Mechanisms for the provision of student grades and/or degree
results to NTU, where appropriate
e. Arrangements for the production of degree certificates, including
notification to Academic Office
e. Details of the common assessment regulations to be used for
the award, where NTU regulations are being used in full a
reference to the appropriate regulations is sufficient
f. Arrangements for the production of transcripts and/or diploma
supplements
Applicable to joint degrees only:
g. Details of the common assessment regulations to be used for the
award, where NTU regulations are being used in full a reference to
the appropriate regulations is sufficient
a. Arrangements for the production of degree certificates
Award ceremonies
Award ceremonies
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
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b. Arrangements for the production of transcripts and/or diploma
supplements
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a. Arrangements for award ceremonies, where students are able to
attend the NTU award ceremony
b. Principles of attendance of NTU staff at award ceremonies held by
the partners
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a. Arrangements for award ceremonies where these are arranged
by the partners, including whether NTU students on joint
degrees have the right to attend the partner’s ceremony
b. Principles of attendance of Partners staff at NTU award
ceremonies, where applicable
Analysis of student achievement
Analysis of student achievement
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for statistical analysis of student achievement,
including comparison of achievement of NTU and partner students,
where applicable
a. Responsibility for statistical analysis of student achievement
b. Mechanisms for using the results of analysis to enhance the
provision
b. Mechanisms for using the results of analysis to enhance the
provision
G. Academic appeals and complaints
Nottingham Trent University
Applicable to joint delivery, consortium, joint and dual degrees only:
a. Arrangements for the management of student academic appeals
and complaints, including whether these are managed by NTU or
the partners for the whole or parts of courses
b. Details of the right of appeal to NTU and the Office of the
Independent Adjudicator (see QH Section 10B)
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to joint delivery, consortium, joint and dual degrees
only:
a. Arrangements for the management of student academic appeals
and complaints, including whether these are managed by NTU or
the partners for the whole or parts of courses
Section Three: Quality of student learning opportunities
A. Student Support
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Nottingham Trent University
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Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for student induction, where this is undertaken by
NTU
a. Arrangements for student induction, where this is undertaken by
the partners
b. Details of whether student support is undertaken by NTU or the
partners
b. Arrangements for academic support
c. Details of any language support available to students
c. Arrangements for pastoral support
d. Arrangements for careers advice and guidance
e. Details of any language support available to students
B. Resources
Nottingham Trent University
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for student access to NTU resources, if applicable,
and details of how students will be informed of these
arrangements
b. Mechanisms for ensuring learning and teaching resources are
appropriate and updated as necessary (e.g. as a result of staff
changes at the partners)
Partners (insert partner names)
Note: Details of the physical resources available to students at the
Partners are set out in the Centre document
Applicable to joint delivery only:
a. Arrangements for ensuring appropriate staff are in place to
deliver and assess the course(s)
C. Staff development
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Details of any development to be provided by NTU, for both
University and partner staff, to support the operation and
a. Details of any development to be provided by the Partners, for
both NTU and partner staff, to support the operation and
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management of the collaboration
b. Arrangements for any ongoing staff development to be provided
by the University
management of the collaboration
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b. Staff induction processes
a. Arrangements for ongoing staff development
b. Mechanisms for peer review
c. Development of research, scholarship and professional practice
D. Student engagement
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for obtaining and responding to feedback from
students and whether this is to be undertaken by NTU, or the
Partner, or both
a. Arrangements for obtaining and responding to feedback from
students, where this is undertaken by the partner
b. Arrangements for utilising student feedback to enhance the
provision
b. Mechanisms for student representation
c. Arrangements for utilising student feedback to enhance the
provision
c. Arrangements for sharing feedback from students with the
partners
Section Four: Provision of information and contractual arrangements
A. Marketing and promotion
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Responsibility for the production of marketing and promotional
a. Responsibility for the production of marketing and promotional
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materials for the collaboration, if any
b. Arrangements for the use of the NTU logo by the partners
c. Arrangements for approval of marketing and promotional
materials produced by the partners
d. Arrangements for monitoring of marketing and promotional
materials produced by the partners, including web pages
materials for the collaboration, if any
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b. Arrangements for the provision of marketing and promotional
materials for NTU for approval
c. Arrangements for the use of the partner logo by NTU, if
applicable
B. Information for students
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for the production of student handbooks, if these
are produced by NTU or jointly with the partners
a. Arrangements for the production of student handbooks, if these
are produced by the partners or jointly with NTU
b. Arrangements for providing students with information about the
following:
b. Arrangements for providing students with information about the
following:

The institution making the award

The institution making the award

Registration information

Registration information

Right of appeal to NTU

Right of appeal to NTU

Rights of access to NTU resources

Rights of access to NTU resources

The relationship of the student to NTU

The relationship of the student to NTU
C. Communication of changes
Nottingham Trent University
Partners (insert partner names)
Applicable to all categories:
Applicable to all categories:
a. Arrangements for informing the partners about changes to NTU
a. Arrangements for informing NTU about changes to partner
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policies and processes
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