A. Collaborations Management Handbook - Overview
What does a Collaborations
Management Handbook cover?
Why is a Handbook necessary?
Which types of collaborative activity require a
Handbook?
The Collaborations Management Handbook sets out all the details of how the collaboration between the University and the partner institution will operate. The structure and content of the Handbook are set out in the guidance in B below.
The Handbook relates to the specifics of the delivery of course(s). Where a number of courses are taught at the same partner institution with the same University Link
Officer and the same delivery arrangements, these can be covered by one Handbook. If there are significant differences between the courses then it may be necessary to produce more than one Handbook.
NB Staff involved in the development of a collaborative partnership should ensure that they are familiar with the full approval processes for collaborative provision which are set out in the Framework for Standards and Quality.
The Handbook provides a useful tool for staff, particularly
Link Officers, involved in managing the collaboration. It provides a detailed, written record of how each aspect of the arrangement is expected to operate. This helps
ULOs/PLOs ensure the smooth running of the partnership arrangements and also allows Faculties and partner institutions to keep track of all of their collaborative activities.
NB The Handbook is not a legal document. The legal aspects for the partnership will be set out in an Institutional
Agreement, which is the overarching contract, and the
Memorandum of Cooperation which relates to the courses being delivered.
The Handbook is essential for all arrangements where other institutions are involved in the delivery of USW courses. A
Handbook should be produced, therefore, for all types of franchise arrangement and for on-line/distance learning
1

Who is responsible for writing the Handbook?
When should the Handbook be produced?
How often should it be updated?
Where should the
Handbook should be kept? courses where the partner is involved in delivering or supporting the delivery of the course.
As University Link Officers are the people who use the
Handbook most, they should take the main responsibility for its production. It should be produced in consultation with the partner institution, (through the Partner Link Officer), and the USW departments who oversee the functions described in the Handbook, for instance, Marketing &
Student Recruitment; Student Administration Services and the University Secretary’s Office.
The Collaborations Management Handbook is one of the documents that is considered at partnership approval events as it provides a clear and comprehensive picture of how the partnership will operate.
Development of the Handbook should start during the discussion stages with the proposed partner institution. The guidance notes below provide prompts for the aspects of the operation of the partnership that need to be discussed and agreed with the prospective partner and set out where responsibilities for the delivery of the course lie.
NB While the Handbook should be written as the details of the proposed collaboration are being worked out, the contracts, (Institutional Agreement and Memorandum of
Cooperation), are only produced when the University approval processes are complete.
The Handbook is an operational document, setting out the practical arrangements for running and managing the collaborative activity. It should, therefore, be kept under review and updated as necessary on an annual basis. In particular, the calendar section setting out the key dates relating to the delivery of the course(s) should be updated and agreed with the partner for each academic year or delivery cycle.
University and Partner Link Officers should always have a copy of the current version of Handbook.
The Collaborative Quality Unit will keep a copy of the
Handbook after approval/re-approval of the collaboration.
NB Support Departments, (such as Student Administration
Services; Marketing and Student Recruitment; Student
Support and Library Services and the University Secretary’s
Office), also have a role to play in the operation and management of collaborative provision. Such departments should, therefore, have access to the current version of the
Handbook.
2

B Collaborations Management Handbook – contents
The Collaborations Management Handbook should be compiled using the template that goes with these guidelines. Where the partner must follow USW procedures, (for instance: academic regulations, student complaints and appeals), there is standard wording that must be used. This wording is included in the relevant sections of the template. As an aid to writing the Handbook, some sections also include suggested text, which can be used if appropriate.
Section 1: Institutional details
1.1 This section summaries the scope of the Handbook and identifies the key people responsible for its operation and management. The template assumes that the Handbook applies to just one partner but for courses taught under the same arrangements at a number of partners,
(for instance, Foundation Degrees taught at several local FE Colleges), it might be better to produce one Handbook covering several partners. Section 1 of the template can, therefore, be modified to ensure that it fits with the way in which the partnership(s) operate.
1.2 A key person should be identified from each institution to have oversight of the running of the course and to act as the main channel of communication between the University and the partner institution. USW assigns the role of University Link Officer and Partner Link Officer to these key people. If the proposed collaboration involves a number of courses or courses in different subject areas, it may be appropriate to have more than one ULO and PLO.
1.3 The responsibilities of the ULO and PLO are set out in the University Link Officer and Partner
Link Officer Handbook, and can be found on the Academic Standards and Quality Services website in Part B of the Framework for Standards and Quality. The ULO/PLO role covers:
A. Liaison and Communication
B. Monitoring
C. Student Voice
D. Induction/Enrolment
E. Course Documentation
F. Assessments
G. External Examiners
H. Accreditation of Prior Learning.
1.4 In addition to the ULO and PLO role, it is also advisable to identify any other key people who will be involved in the operation or management of the partnership in areas such as course administration or overarching academic management of the collaboration.
Section 2: Marketing and Recruitment
2.1 The marketing of the franchised/on-line courses should be conducted in accordance with
USW’s Publicity and Marketing Policy for Collaborative Partners.
(Additionally, UK partners are required to adhere to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and to meet the Expectations in Part B of the QAA UK Quality Code for HE, particularly that for B10:
Managing Higher Education Provision with Others, (Indicator 18).)
2.2 Recruitment processes will be discussed and agreed with Marketing and Student Recruitment.
This includes the role of the partner, USW’s admission policy and relevant legislation.
3

(Additionally, UK partners are required to meeting the Expectations in Part B of the QAA UK
Quality Code for HE, particularly that for B2: Recruitment, Selection and Admission to Higher
Education).
The marketing and recruitment processes for the collaborative partnership should be discussed and agreed with Marketing and Student Recruitment, (MSR).
2.3 When developing collaborations with UK based partners, it is necessary to establish whether any international students, (non-EU), will be recruited. USW requires UK based partner institutions to have their own Tier 4 sponsor licence.
The Compliance Unit in the University Secretary’s Office should be contacted for advice and guidance on the UKVI implications for recruiting overseas students where a partner institution is involved.
Section 3: Enrolment and Induction
3.1 Partner institutions may have their own enrolment or registration requirements but all students taking USW courses need to be enrolled as USW students. The purposes of enrolment with USW for students at partner institutions are:
 to enable them to gain access to USW resources, (in particular the VLE);
 to ensure that the University knows who their students are and how many are on the course(s) being offered at the partner institution;
 to allow the students results to be considered by USW exam boards;
 to track student achievement;
 to issue a certificate to the student once they have completed their award.
The student enrolment processes for the collaborative partnership should be discussed and agreed with Student Administration Services, (SAS).
3.2 The induction programme for new students needs to be planned and discussed with the partner institution. The induction programme should be in line with those run for students studying at USW but will have an emphasis on how students access USW resources offcampus.
The student induction programme for the collaborative partnership should also be discussed and agreed with relevant USW departments but, in particular, Student Support and Library
Services.
Section 4: Course Specification/Course and Module Guides
4.1 The partner institution should be supplied with a copy of the relevant course specification(s) and module guides during the discussion. For delivery of the course, the partner institution may need to contextualise the course and module guides to some extent. The partner institution will, therefore, need copies, particularly of the module descriptors and guides, early on in the planning stage, to enable them to engage with the syllabus and to ensure that they have the appropriate resources to support the course.
4.2 Course specifications must indicate the location of delivery. If the collaborative arrangement is approved after the course is validated then this will be added as an addendum to the course specification.
4

4.3 Prior to each delivery at the partner institution, the ULO should ensure that the PLO has been provided with current versions of the all the necessary information about the content of the course, in particular module information and student handbooks.
Section 5: Course structure and model of delivery
5.1 The course should, as far as possible, be delivered at the partner Institution in the same sequence and over the same timescales as at USW.
5.2 If there is a need to vary the start and end dates or change the order in which modules are delivered, then the pattern of delivery should be clearly set out in the Handbook.
Proposed changes to the course delivery pattern should be discussed and agreed with the relevant Academic Manager and Course Director(s). The module leaders should be kept informed of such discussions and of the implications for the delivery of the modules for which they are responsible.
5.3 If the pattern of delivery at the partner institution is to be different to that at USW then consideration needs to be given to the adjustments that need to be made to the academic calendar, in particular in relation to:
 the timing for enrolments and induction;
 the length of module delivery and how the requisite notional student study hours fit with this;
 the timing of assessments and the involvement of external examiners;
 the fit with the exam board schedule;
 the timing of the graduation ceremonies.
The administrative aspects of operating different start dates and patterns of delivery should be discussed with SAS and with the Faculty based Academic Standards and Quality Services,
(AS&QS) staff.
Section 6: Learning, teaching and student support
6.1 All partner institution staff involved directly in the delivery of the course(s) must have
Registered Teacher Status. This is done initially as part of the partnership/course approval processes. However, teaching staff may change from year to year and new members of staff will need to go through the RTS approval process. The Handbook should set out how the
University will be kept informed of such changes and how the RTS approval process will be dealt with.
Issues relating to getting RTS approval for partner institution teaching staff should discussed with the Collaborative Quality Unit.
6.2 There need to be discussions about how the virtual learning environment will be used in the delivery of the course at the partner institution. Students studying at the partner institution will need to be enrolled with USW and set up with access to our VLE.
6.3 What personal tutoring systems will be in place for these students and do these meet the requirements for the course?
5

6.4 What support does the partner institution offer to students with individual needs relating to disability and dyslexia and how are these identified? For UK based collaborations, students studying the franchised course at the partner institution may also get access to USW special needs support.
The way in which students with individual needs relating to disability and dyslexia can be supported should be discussed and confirmed with the Disability and Dyslexia Service.
6.5 If the course includes work-based learning and/or placements, discuss how this operates in the partner institution and how students are supported.
Section 7: Assessment
7.1 Students studying at the partner institution should sit the same exams at the same time as students at USW. However, if the start and finish times of the course differ from USW’s, separate exam papers may need to be set.
7.2 Students studying the course at the partner institution should also undertake the same coursework assessments, although it may be appropriate to contextualise these, particularly for overseas partners.
7.3 Consideration should be given to whether marking will be done by USW staff or the partner institution and to how the moderation of marks will be undertaken.
An essential part of ensuring the standards of awards taught at different locations is ensuring consistency in the way in which assessments are marked. The external examiner report makes specific reference to this.
7.4 The turnaround time between coursework submission and feedback to students should be the same for the partner institution as for students studying at USW and should be specified in the
Handbook as well as the method for giving feedback.
7.5 The University’s academic regulations for taught courses will apply to students studying at a partner institution. This should be specified in the Handbook and the partner institution should be provided with access to the current regulations and to be kept informed of any changes.
Advice on issues relating to the academic regulations for taught courses can be obtained from
AS&QS.
7.6 Normally, the existing USW external examiners for course modules will act as external examiners for the partner course. Samples of assessments from students on the franchised course will be included with the batch of USW assessments that are sent to each external examiner and clearly identified as coming from the partner. The Handbook should describe how this will be done.
7.7 Exam boards will normally be held at USW and the arrangements should be set out in the
Handbook. Where staff from the partner institution are involved in the delivery of the course, they should be invited to attend the boards.
6

7.8 The Handbook should set out the arrangements for issuing certificates and transcripts to graduates from courses delivered at the partner institution and for graduation ceremonies.
The student arrangements for issuing certificates and for graduation events should be discussed and agreed with Student Administration Services, (SAS).
Section 8: Regulations and procedures
8.1 As stated above, in order to ensure consistency in delivery, USW courses delivered at partner institutions must follow the University’s academic regulations, particularly with regard to assessment. This would include:
 the conduct of examinations
 pass marks for units and components of assessment
 failure of assessments and opportunities to repeat assessments
 deadlines for hand-in of coursework
 late submission of coursework.
This section of the Handbook should:

 outline the partner’s responsibilities with regard to assessments;
 confirm that USW’s regulations will apply; set out the mechanism by which the partner will be kept informed of changes to the regulations.
8.2 Where a course is also approved by a PSRB, the Handbook should include any additional requirements imposed by the PSRB.
8.3 Cases of suspected academic misconduct involving students on a franchised course should always be dealt with using the University’s procedures, as set out in the academic regulations.
8.4 The University’s procedures for considering students with extenuating circumstances would normally be used.
8.5 The University’s procedures for student appeals against exam board decisions will apply.
8.6 Student complaints about aspects of the delivery of their course should be dealt with under
USW’s procedures. If the complaint relates specifically to something that only the partner institution has responsibility for then the student should use the partner’s complaints procedure.
8.7 Students disciplinary issues for those studying on a USW course at a partner institution will be dealt with under the partner’s own regulations and procedures.
ULOs should contact the Student Casework staff in the University Secretary’s Office for advice on the procedures referred to in 8.2 to 8.7.
8.8 Additionally, the partner institution should have its own policies for such things as, Health and
Safety and Equality and Diversity which would apply to all students enrolled and studying at the partner institution.
7

Section 9: Course Management
9.1 The arrangements for course boards need to be set out in the Handbook, in terms of where and when these will be held and who should attend them. The Handbook should also describe the other methods that will be used to obtain student feedback and to respond to this.
9.2 In order for the partnership with the partner institution to operate effectively, it is essential that the USW course team sets up formal communication links with staff at the partner institution, both at course level and module level and at Faculty management level, (Academic
Manager, Head of School, Associate Head of School etc.). This is to ensure that staff involved in the delivery of the course at the partner institution are kept informed of any proposed changes to the content or of any issues affecting the delivery of the course. A simple way to do this is to include the relevant partner institution staff in mailing lists for the course.
9.3 Members of partner institution staff teaching on franchised courses should be invited to course/department/school/faculty staff development events where appropriate and practicable.
Section 10: Quality Assurance
10.1 The standard annual monitoring processes apply to courses taught at partner institutions. The course monitoring report should make specific reference to each site of delivery and should clearly identify any concerns/areas of good practice that relate specifically to the partner delivery. University Link Officers are required to produce an annual report, in consultation with the Partner Link Officers, to feed into the reports. The Handbook must, therefore, include reference to the annual monitoring processes and confirm the partner’s involvement.
10.2 As stated in Section 7 above, normally, the existing USW external examiners for course modules will act as external examiners for the partner course. Their reports should be shared with the PLO(s) so that they are aware of any issues raised by the external in relation to delivery of the course at the partner institution. They should also be involved in the formulation and implementation of any actions taken in response to external examiner comments.
10.3 The methods that will be used to obtain feedback from students should be set out in the
Handbook and how this will feed into the annual monitoring process.
The Faculty based AS&QS staff can provide advice on the quality assurance processes.
Section 11. Staff Development and Course Development
11.1 Discussions with the partner institution staff about the delivery of the course may reveal some staff development needs for partner institution staff, which should be addressed before the course starts. Examples of these could include: use of the VLE or standards of marking of assessments. The Handbook should set the approach to be taken to provide such staff development.
11.2 The Handbook should also set out how, and if, staff from the partner institution are to be involved in curriculum or course development.
8

12.1 The sections above focus on how each aspect of the collaboration will operate but critical to this is when each has to take place. An essential part of the Handbook, therefore, is a calendar setting out when each aspect of the operation and management of the collaboration will take place, (for instance, enrolment and induction; assessments; exam boards).
The Handbook template includes a blank 52 week calendar. Obviously, this will have to be revised for each course delivery but it may also be necessary to add to it during the year, for instance, if something arises that requires an additional visit.
12.2 In addition to putting in dates around the functions set out above, the calendar should include:
 start and end dates for course/module delivery;
 block delivery teaching weeks (if appropriate);

ULO visits.
12.3 To ensure that each aspect of the operation of the partnership is carried out in a timely manner, the calendar should be shared with all those with an involvement in the operation of the collaboration, including:

Module Leaders for the modules being delivered at the partner institution

Course Director(s) for the course(s) being delivered at the partner institution

Course Administrator(s) for course(s) being delivered at the partner institution

SAS staff dealing with enrolment, exams and conferments

MSR in relation to advertising the course; use of USW logo etc.

Student Support and Library Services staff to ensure that students at the partner institution have access to all relevant on-line course information and learning support.
9