CMVM
Proposal for a CMVM Graduate School
Rationale
Our Strategic Plan 2015-18 includes a brief rationale for the introduction of a College Graduate School:
The restructure of the College provides the opportunity to restructure post-graduate
support and administration, providing a clearer focus on market opportunities for current
and future programmes, and to build Graduate ‘hubs’ within Schools, Institutes and
groups of Centres. We will develop innovative ways of supporting students and ensure
sharing of best practice. …
We will also investigate opportunities for providing shorter modules of CPD and executive
education, including cross-School and College opportunities in vocational skills and
relevant management training. (p.9)
This proposal is for a Graduate School (GS) designed to clarify, streamline and improve the
administration and support of all our PGT and PGR activity, whether students are studying on campus
or online. While programmes will continue to be ‘owned’ by the relevant School or Deanery, the GS
will take a joined-up, strategic view of development and resourcing. It will provide intelligence to help
spot gaps in the market, advice and help in building robust business plans that will respond nimbly to
growth in student numbers, support in developing, validating and marketing new provision, and
assistance in processing applications and admissions. Support for teams new to OLDL delivery will also
be provided where needed.
The GS will manage the funding drawn from the 10% top slice strategically to help grow our numbers.
There will be clearly publicised calls for bids for funding in good time for the following year’s activities,
and published criteria for the allocation of funding. The GS will oversee QA, QE and annual and
periodic review of all our programmes, encouraging the clustering of award titles and the sharing of
courses (especially for research training) as appropriate. It is also proposed that the GS include a
CPD/PPD Unit to champion and support the development and delivery of such courses, maximising
the potential income from this source.
Structure
The Graduate School will appear as a single entity to prospective and current students, but will have
a number of physical and virtual locations. There will be a College Graduate School Office (CGSO) in
the Chancellor’s Building and a series of local Graduate School Hubs (GSHs). All GS offices will be at
the same level in terms of hierarchy, will be student and staff facing, and will offer support and advice
to any callers in person, online or by phone, the guiding principle being that there is ‘no wrong door’
for enquirers.
Initially, the Graduate School Hubs will be:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Biomedical Sciences – Teviot
Clinical & Translational Sciences – Little France
Dental Institute – Lauriston Place
Edinburgh Neuroscience - virtual hub
IGMM – Western General
R(D)SVS & Roslin Institute – Easter Bush
Usher Institute – Bioquarter 9
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Each programme will be ‘attached’ to a specific hub, and administrators will work together on the
programmes in their location. The configuration of hubs will be reviewed annually, and proposals for
new hubs (often virtual) will be encouraged as provision grows.
Governance
The GS will be overseen by a Steering Committee meeting twice a year that will set strategic direction.
Membership would include the Heads of School and Deans ex officio, Directors of PGT and PGR, and
representative Programme Directors and PGR/PGT students. The existing PG committees (Business
Management, Learning & Teaching, and Postgraduate Researcher Experience) will be retained, but a
new PG Quality Committee will be added to strengthen our oversight of QA and QE issues.
Remit
The table provided in the Appendix shows the initial division of responsibilities between the College’s
Graduate School Office and local Graduate School Hubs.
CPD/ PPD Unit
Since responsibility for managing CPD/PPD provision was returned to the Schools, there has been little
incentive and less resource for colleagues considering providing such courses. A CPD/PPD Unit within
the College Graduate School Office would offer support at two levels: (1) scoping the market, building
business plans and liaising with professional bodies to accredit our provision; and (2) handling
marketing, registering students, ensuring certification and – for on campus provision - booking rooms
and catering, producing course packages, analysing feedback, and so on, as required.
Resourcing
Currently the College has a total of some 38.5 FTEs of administrative staff supporting PGT and PGR
activity. There are some outstanding bids for additional posts for which the funding is available: these
should be considered as soon as the configuration of the Hubs and the allocation of programmes has
been completed.
One of the advantages of having a Graduate School structure is that the 10% top slice could be used
more strategically to the benefit of all. For instance, at the moment the appointment of a policy officer
to set up a CPD/PPD Unit and to help develop our online PhD provision should begin to yield longterm financial gain very quickly.
Branding and communication
Proposals to relocate the CGSO within the Chancellor’s Building to a more accessible and welcoming,
open-plan location are being discussed. This would encourage enquirers, staff and students to feel
valued and supported. The design features in this Office should be rolled out in each of the Hubs, in
order to create a visual identity for the Graduate School. Similarly, a coherent visual design would be
replicated in the GS webpages across the College.
Communication within the Graduate School also needs to be facilitated, and it is proposed that the
PG Programme Directors’ Forum be revived, meeting informally but regularly to discuss current issues
and to foster communication both vertically and horizontally. Administrators from the GSHs and the
CGSO would similarly come together in their own forum, and opportunities for sharing best practice
would be maximised through both meetings and through dedicated databases.
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Appendix:
Responsibilities of the College Graduate School Office and Graduate School Hubs
Course
Development
College Graduate School Office
Graduate School Hubs
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Advise and support the development of new programmes
Provide e-learning development and advice for teams new to
OLDL as required
Provide clear guidance on timely process of validation and
review to ensure courses are swiftly to market
Admissions
Conversion activity
Advice on University admission policy changes
Open Days
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Support programme teams in preparing documentation for
validation
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PD is responsible for determining admissions criteria and
making recommendations relating to admissions
Hubs chase up outstanding documents, make prompt offers
PGR Admissions
Staff participate in Open Days
Generic advertising of whole CMVM PG portfolio
Advice on marketing to Hubs
Pump-priming marketing for new programmes
Enabling sharing of best practice in programme-level marketing
activities, for example, social networking
Design/production of programme literature
Maintain and update prospectus/degree finder
Update publicity e.g. findamasters and other PG listing sites
General admissions and on programme enquiries by telephone,
email and in person
Advise all PG contacts of any important communications, by
email
Oversight of attendance and engagement monitoring
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Maintain and update Hub and programme websites
Detailed programme queries
Marketing, advertising and recruitment to programme.
(Access to good advertising rates available from the CGSO).
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PDs/Supervisors to monitor and record student engagement
on EUCLID
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Admissions
Marketing and
Communications
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Managed
Migration
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Matriculation and
Induction
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Changes to
students records
and Concessions
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External
Supervisors and
Tutors
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Pastoral Support
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Examinations and
Assessments
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Advice on UKVI requirement changes that affect admissions e.g.
English Language
Students reported for non-engagement by Hubs to be reported
to Student Administration
All visa advice is directed to International Office
Arranges September PG Induction event
Sends out generic welcome information to all new students
Responsible for maintaining joining instruction/induction
website for new students
Informs Student Administration of all students who do not start
their studies, withdraw, etc
Informs Student Administration of all students who do not
return to their studies, withdraw etc
Final approval of all concessions (extension or interruption)
must be by CGSO, who will inform Student Administration and
the student
Oversight of employment of External Supervisors and Tutors
Advice to Hubs on procedures and processes
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Hubs to check weekly reports and follow up any missing
entries
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Staff to participate in generic PG Induction
Programmes and hubs arrange their own timetable of
welcome events and social events.
Programmes to check and maintain all course and programme
enrolments
Arranges PGT Directors and Administrators’ fora, enabling
sharing of best practice
Organises and delivers Supervisor Briefing Sessions, Thesis
workshops, and 3 Minutes Thesis Competition.
Produces updated annual PGT template for Programme
Handbooks and CGSO PGR Handbook
Deals with any formal appeals and misconduct cases that reach
CGSO level
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Sends programmes marks reminders to meet Graduation
deadlines
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All students who do not return to their studies, start their
studies, withdraw etc should be reported to CGSO
All concessions (extension or interruption) must be signed by
student and then PD/Supervisor before sending to CGSO for
approval
Hubs responsible for ensuring appointments meet all
necessary criteria and that all processes are completed
PD/Supervisor is first line of Pastoral support. Expected to
assist students overcome their problems with whatever help
and advice necessary, in most cases referring to the
University’s specialist support agencies
Hubs to produce updated annual Programme Handbooks
PD/Supervisor to be aware of Appeals and complaints
procedures for advising students
PD/Supervisor and course leaders to be aware of misconduct
procedures for advising students
Programmes collate and check exam/course marks
All PGT course marks input by Hubs
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Updates Hubs on any relevant changes to Regulations and
relevant Codes of Practice etc
Sends PGR awards to Student Administration
Processes all award letters for PGR students.
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Exam Boards
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PG Quality Committee approves PGT Exam Board Membership
and dates
Distributes and collates PGR progression reports, collating
marks and awards for BoE and reports awards to Student
Administration.
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External
Examiners
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Processes all External Examiner (EE) appointments
Arranges PG EE contracts and payments.
Provides guidelines on EE expense payments
Designs and delivers EE induction
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QA/QE
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Responsible for committees
Organises PPR/TPR in conjunction with Academic Services
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Ensure students receive timely and appropriate feedback on
assessments
Programmes to be aware of Regulations and relevant Codes of
Practice and ensure students are aware of assessment
processes
Programmes to be aware of Appeals and Complaints
procedures
PGR Thesis submission
PGR EE appointment and payments of PGR External Examiners
All programme PGT awards to be sent Student Administration
in time for the appropriate Graduation
Programmes to organise and set Exam Board to fit in with
graduations
Seek approval from CGSO for Exam Board Membership and
dates
Programmes to be aware of Assessment, Special
Circumstances, Exam Board etc Regulations
A copy of all Exam Board minutes to be sent to CGSO.
Exam arrangements– liaise with Student Administration
Hubs nominate new EE to PG QAC
Send Exam papers scripts and questions to EEs
Convenor and Exam Boards members must aware of their
roles and the regulations and Code of Practices involving Exam
Boards
EE reports are submitted to PG QAC for approval with a copy
sent to exam board chair and PD
EE payments (travel/hotel expenses and examining fee) are
paid by CGSO; but programmes must be aware of expenses
policy and expenses that will be paid e.g. for hotel bookings,
flights, meals etc
School representatives to sit on CGSO Committees and
feedback to Hubs from the Committees
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Distributes Annual Reflective Review programme surveys and
collates results for PG QC
Reviews and analyses PTES/PRES survey results
Advises on new programmes, changes to programmes etc
Any changes to courses or programmes to be approved by PG
QC; CGSO will make the updates
Advice and help on drafting collaborative arrangements
Management
Information
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Production of management information and statistics
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Policy and
development
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Representation on Committees as appropriate
Participation in task groups and ad-hoc PG Groups as
appropriate
Reporting
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Participation in Senate Committees
Participation in various task groups and ad-hoc groups on PG
policy development
Communicates with and consults Hubs on policy development
Deal with enquiries from Student Administration on Student
Records
All new programmes to be approved by CGSO Validation Panel
and then CGSO Strategy Group, including all finances on a
standard Business Plan
CGSO to monitor Business Plans
CGSO to monitor student target numbers
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Respond to queries from CGSO on student data
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Hubs should consult the CGSO documentation before starting
to plan a new programme.
All new programmes must be approved by School, including all
finances on a standard Business Plan
Hubs to monitor Business Plans
Hubs to monitor student target numbers
Some occasional operational support
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Finance and
strategy
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CPD /PPD Unit
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Strategic and operational support for development and delivery
of courses
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Hubs to hold PG Committees; Hubs are responsible for
dissemination and implementation of CGSO Policies
throughout their School
Hubs participate in PPR/TPR and provide a School liaison
officer who collates information, writes report etc
Programmes to complete PGT Annual Reflective Review,
programme surveys and return by deadlines set
Hold timely Staff Student Liaison Committee Meetings
Hubs encourage student participation in PTES/PRES surveys
Any changes to courses or programmes to be approved firstly
by School then PG QC. Changes are made by Hubs to CCAM
and DPTS.
Supports entry of management information and circulation of
data
Sheila Lodge, 14 April 2015
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