ANNUAL UPDATE OF PROGRAMME SPECIFICATIONS 2015/16
Action Required by Monday 13 April 2015:

AD(T)s to approve/reject proposed changes to programme specifications.

Schools to make approved changes to 2015/16 programme specifications on the
Programme Specification Update and Approval System and upload proposal paperwork.

Schools to send SCSC list of programme specifications coded with proposed status in
2015/16.
NB: Please note shaded additional requirement for 2015/16 programme specifications onwards below
1.
Update of Programme Specifications for 2015/16
As in previous years, major changes to programme specifications for 2015/16 should have
been submitted to the CSC meeting in January 2015. This note describes the
arrangements for handling minor changes to programme specifications for 2015/16 and
any further major changes that might exceptionally come to light during the annual update
process.
Deans/Chairs of School Learning and Teaching Committees and AD(T)s should be asked
to consider proposed changes to programme specifications for 2015/16. School
administrators should make approved changes to programme specifications via the
Programme Specification Update and Approval System. Guidance on use of the system
has been made available to Schools and is available from the Secretary to CSC (SCSC).
Schools are reminded that although the University's approval procedure serves to monitor
and assist in maintaining the quality of Programme Specifications, Schools have the
ultimate responsibility for the quality and content of their Programme Specifications and
should satisfy themselves of this.
Please note that CSC has confirmed that option modules should be listed in Programme
Specifications together with their titles, credit weight and semester of delivery, rather than
students being referred to departmental option lists or similar.
1.1
Major Change Proposals
Major changes are described in section 3, para 1.2.1 of the Academic Quality Procedures
Handbook. They include:

all new or revised programmes and modules that have received strategic approval
by Operations Committee

proposals to change existing programme specifications and module specifications
which have implications that warrant institution-wide consideration. For example,
changes to:
-
progression rules
-
degree qualification rules
-
changes to the programme or module learning outcomes that will significantly
change the nature of the programme or module
-
changes to the learning and teaching activities and the assessment activities
for a programme that will change the KIS report for that programme by more
than 10% or below the minimum expectations set by the University.
Proposals for major changes for 2015/16 that were not considered at the January
meeting of CSC, will need to receive CSC consideration via email. Please notify the
Secretary of CSC (SCSC) as soon as possible of any proposals for major changes to
programmes.
1.2
Minor Change Proposals
Proposals/changes not covered by the major change definition are considered minor
and are subject to the approval of the School AD(T) on behalf of CSC. Proposals will
be considered by the AD(T) and if necessary the Chair of CSC.
1.3
Credit Structure of Awards
Schools should check their programme structures to ensure that they align with the
credit values of the University’s awards, thereby according with national credit
guidelines. Exemptions permitted in 2009 will need to comply with the requirements
made at that time.
Further explanation can be found in Annex E and its Appendices:
Appendix 1: EWNI generic credit level descriptors
Appendix 2: Credit values of Loughborough University awards
1.4
UG and PG Prospectuses on the Web
The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Prospectuses are available on the website at:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ and http://www.lboro.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/
These Prospectuses and departmental websites should be kept up to date with programme
developments as these are approved. If any changes to Programme Specifications approved
during the annual updating process (or at any other time) have implications for the text within
the Prospectuses on the web, please email v.v.meldrum@lboro.ac.uk who will arrange for the
relevant text to be revised.
1.5
Implications for Applicants
If any changes to Programme Specifications have implications for applicants, please inform
Dave Norton D.Norton@lboro.ac.uk for undergraduate programmes or Wendy Macdonald
W.J.Macdonald@lboro.ac.uk for postgraduate taught programmes.
1.6
Submission of Proposals
The required changes to programme specifications should be described on the
Changes to Programme Specifications for 2015/2016 form which may be downloaded
from: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/admin/ar/lps/programme_admin/index.htm
Overview of process:
-
Complete proposal form.
-
Seek approval of the changes by the Dean if there are resource implications
or the Chair of the School’s Learning and Teaching Committee. Where
appropriate consult other departments.
-
Seek approval of the changes by the AD(T).
-
If approved, upload the completed form and associated paperwork on to the
Programme Specification Update and Approval System.
-
Make approved changes to the programme specification on the System and
place in workflow for publication by the Academic Registry.
-
SCSC publishes approved revised specifications on the Web.
Notes
- Please note that the form sets out the requirements to consult in advance with all
departments affected by your proposals, requiring a signature from each department
consulted ie:

Academic departments if there are any implications for their teaching duties or
for their own programmes.

IT Services, Pilkington Library and/or Facilities Management if there are any
implications for their resources.
2

Careers and Employability Centre if there is likely to be any effect upon
student employability.
- Where there is distance learning provision on a programme this should be identified
in the programme specification as follows:

Include ‘(Distance Learning)’ at the end of the programme title if the
programme is fully distance learning (NB Separate Programme Specifications
should be created where a programme is available as either DL or non-DL)

Identify any fully DL modules listed in Specifications with an asterisk (i.e.
AAA100*)

Identify any partial DL modules listed in Specifications with a superscript cross
(i.e AAA101†)

Include the following decoder at the end:
* by Distance Learning
† partially by Distance Learning (>50%)
- You may wish to include a clause in postgraduate programme specifications
extending the Special Assessment Period (SAP) to postgraduates.
2.
Coded List of Programme Specifications
A list of programme specifications will be sent to each department/School. Please
indicate on this list the status of each programme specification for 2015/16 using one
of the codes below and return the list to the SCSC by the given deadline.
Code
Programme Specification Status
OK
A
No change made to specification
Changes to specification submitted to
AD(T) via Programme Specification Update
and Approval System as part of annual
update submission or to CSC and have
been approved
Changes to specification submitted to
AD(T) via Programme Specification Update
and Approval System after annual update
submission and have been approved
Programme not running in 2015/16
C
S
Note: Suspension of a programme requires approval by CSC.
Contact SCSC if suspension not yet approved for 15/16
D
Programme discontinued. No students
remaining in 2015/16
Action by Academic
Registry
Prog spec will be published
Prog spec will be published
Prog spec will be published
Prog spec will not be
published but will be
retrained.
Prog spec will be removed
Note: Discontinuation of a programme requires approval
by CSC. Contact SCSC if approval not yet sought.
DS
Programme has been discontinued.
However, some students still remaining in
2014/15
Prog spec will be published
Note: Discontinuation of a programme requires
approval by CSC. Contact SCSC if approval not yet
sought.
DP
Version of programme spec for this cohort
of students no longer required as no
students remaining
(where multiple versions of a programme specification for
different years of entry)
3
Version of prog spec will be
removed
3.
Publication of Programme Specifications
Programme Specifications will be made available on the Programme Quality &
Teaching Partnerships page of the Academic Registry web site, with a link provided
from the student homepage.
They will also be published by Schools in Programme Handbooks or a link provided in
handbooks to the online version available on the Academic Registry web site.
December 2014
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