THE SENATE
PATHWAY APPROVAL REPORT
(Core and/or Franchised Provision)
A confirmed report of the event held on 30th January 2009 to
consider the approval of the following pathways:
BA (Hons) Marketing [final stage]
MA Marketing and Innovation [final stage]
Ashcroft International Business School
Delivery of Pathways at London School of Marketing
Quality Assurance Division
SECTION A – OUTCOME SUMMARY
1.
INTRODUCTION
1.1
The purpose of the event was to consider the franchise of the final stages of BA (Hons)
Marketing and MA Marketing & Innovation to provide progression from Chartered Institute
of Marketing awards.
1.2
The pathways will be located
Ashcroft International Business School.
2.
CONCLUSIONS
2.1
The Panel recommends to the Senate the franchise of the following pathways:


in
the
Chelmsford
Department
in
the
BA (Hons) Marketing [final stage]; and
MA Marketing and Innovation [final stage].
Delivery will be classroom-based in full-time and part-time modes with a minimum cohort
size of ten students, and a maximum cohort size of twenty-four students.
Approval, once confirmed, will be for an indefinite period, subject to Anglia Ruskin’s
continuing quality assurance procedures.
2.2
The following pathways have been accredited by the listed professional or statutory body:

2.3
Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Conditions
Approval is subject to the following conditions which were set by the Panel. A copy of the
response must be lodged with the Executive Officer by the date(s) detailed below:
2.3.1
2.3.2
2.3.3
2.3.4
2.3.5
Details of Condition
Deadline
Response to
be considered
by
Submit an electronic version of the revised
Pathway Specification Forms (PSFs) detailing
the modules to be delivered at the London
School of Marketing (paragraphs 4.3-4 &
Appendix 1);
Detail the pre-delivery student induction and staff
development programme to develop learning
skills appropriate for undergraduate and
postgraduate study (paragraphs 4.2, 6.6, 6.8,
6.11 & 7.2);
Clarify the roles of Lecturers, Associate
Lecturers and Tutors in the delivery of the Anglia
Ruskin pathways, and provide CVs for all
colleagues involved in the delivery of the
pathways (paragraph 6.7);
Demonstrate the availability of appropriate library
resources and software resources for successful
delivery of the pathways (paragraphs 6.2-3);
Resubmit the Student Handbooks including
current marking criteria, local Pathway Leaders
and a clear definition of the roles of staff within
28th February
2009
Panel Chair
28th February
2009
All Panel
members
28th February
2009
All Panel
members
28th February
2009
All Panel
members
28th February
2009
All Panel
members
Quality Assurance Division
2
Confirmed
the London School of Marketing and the Ashcroft
International Business School in the students’
learning experience (paragraphs 5.1, 6.7, 6.10 &
9.1).
2.4
Recommendations
The following recommendations for quality enhancement were made by the Panel. A copy
of the responses to the recommendations listed below must be lodged with the Executive
Officer. The Faculty Board for the Ashcroft International Business School will consider the
responses at its meeting of 4th June 2009:
2.4.1
2.4.2
2.5
Details of Recommendation
Anglia Ruskin University and the London School of Marketing
should ensure the sharing of best practice through joint staff
development activities (paragraphs 6.6 & 7.2);
The Ashcroft International Business School should develop and
appropriate workload model for Major Project supervision which
is disseminated to all collaborative partners (paragraph 6.9).
Deadline
30th
April
2009
30th
2009
April
Issues Referred to the Senate (or appropriate standing committee)
The Panel did not identify any institution-wide issues as requiring the attention of the
Senate or the appropriate standing committee of the Senate.
Quality Assurance Division
3
Confirmed
SECTION B – DETAIL OF DISCUSSION AND PANEL CONCLUSIONS
3
RATIONALE
3.1
The Panel noted that a successful Institutional Approval of the London School of Marketing
by Anglia Ruskin University had been undertaken on 1st-2nd December 2008. The London
School of Marketing (LSM) currently delivers the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM’s)
Professional Certificate, Professional Diploma and Professional Postgraduate Diploma fulltime and part-time in hired premises at Imperial College, London, King’s College, University
College, London and Birkbeck. Since its establishment in 2002 LSM has developed to
3,000 students approximately and is now the market leader for CIM courses in the UK.
3.2
The LSM’s alumni and current students have expressed a strong interest in progressing
with their studies to a formal academic award. Anglia Ruskin University’s Ashcroft
International Business School sought approval in July 2006 for an Accreditation of Prior
Learning (APL) Tariff for progression from the CIM’s awards into AIBS’ BA (Hons)
Marketing and MA Marketing & Innovation respectively. The LSM thus sought franchise
approval of the progression routes to Honours and Masters degrees.
4
CURRICULUM DESIGN, CONTENT AND DELIVERY
4.1
The Panel noted that the Proposal Team would be adopting the pathway as already
approved. The modules being delivered by the LSM would also be delivered on the main
UK campuses and at other collaborative partners. Materials such as Module Guides and
assessments would be developed routinely therefore and rolled out for use by the LSM as
well. Despite this, the Panel raised the imminent proposed date for the commencement of
the MA Marketing & Innovation. The Proposal Team confirmed that it was intended to
deliver the MA modules in three-day blocks in the middle of the standard semester, with an
assessment hand-in at the end of the semester, in alignment with all other students
enrolled upon the modules.
4.2
The Panel noted that the CIM awards are practitioner-based and do not assess in an openended and theory-based approach as HE level studies do. The Panel queried the students’
ability to develop HE study skills to succeed at Levels 2 and 3. The Proposal Team
asserted that the CIM awards have become more academic in their approach over the last
few years and has a Professional Development Planning (PDP) element within them.
While Research Methods is not a learning skills module it does explore the process of
writing a dissertation and concludes with the submission of a project proposal. The
Undergraduate Major Project is also designed to embed PDP. Within the LSM’s delivery of
the CIM awards students are provided with additional study skills support. The Proposal
Team assured the Panel that they were anticipating recruiting only from within their own
alumni, who would have received their additional support. Furthermore, the Proposal
Team only anticipated applications from their recent alumni who would have completed the
recent, more academically-focussed CIM awards. The Proposal Team felt that older
alumni would have moved on too far in their career to feel sufficient benefit from an
academic award. The Proposal Team agreed that should registrations from the LSM
alumni be exhausted a bridging programme would be established to provide the necessary
HE study skills experience in preparation for the latter half of the BA (Hons).
4.3
While noting that the pathway was already approved and that the modules were not
defined by pre-requisites or co-requisites, the Panel queried whether Strategic Marketing: A
Contemporary Review may complement students’ undertaking of the Undergraduate Major
Project. To study it in Semester 2, alongside the conclusion of their Major Project, could
reduce their ability to complete the best Major Project of their final abilities. The Proposal
Team acknowledged the Panel’s suggestion but noted that the Major Project in topic and
methodology is already determined by early in Semester 1. However, due to the inverted
Quality Assurance Division
4
Confirmed
pathway structure to ensure that modules are delivered in synch with the core campuses,
those students registering with the LSM in September would complete Strategic Marketing:
A Contemporary Review alongside the formative part of their Major Project.
4.4
The Panel continued the discussion regarding module chronology by considering Marketing
Consultancy. The Panel suggested that the module read like a capstone module. Thus its
delivery in Semester 1 of Level 3 seemed a little incongruous. Again the Proposal Team
acknowledged the Panel’s suggestion but was unable to make alterations as this was the
chronology already approved by the Faculty for delivery on the core campus. However,
again, due to the inverted pathway structure to ensure that modules are delivered in synch
with the core campuses, those students registering with the LSM in September would
complete Marketing Consultancy in the latter part of their studies.
5
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
5.1
The Panel noted that the Proposal Team would be adopting the assessment strategy as
outlined by the Faculty and operated on the main UK campuses. Students’ scripts would
be marked by the LSM, moderated counterparts within the Faculty and then included within
the sample scrutinised by the External Examiners. The Proposal Team agreed that
additional External Examiners would be appointed where necessary in accordance with the
Academic Office’s External Examiner workload tariff. The Proposal Team confirmed that
their marking standards had not been questioned nor their unratified marks amended by
the CIM through its moderation process. The Panel recommended that Anglia Ruskin’s
generic assessment criteria and marking standards, provided as an appendix to our Senate
Code of Practice on the Assessment of Students, should be included within the Student
Handbook, although it is also a standard appendix in Module Guides.
5.2
The Panel had been apprised of the LSM’s current system of associate lecturers who teach
but have no input in the assessment of the unit they have taught, and on-line tutors who
support students through the submission of their assessment and who comment on the
final assessment. The Panel queried whether this system was to be operated for the Anglia
Ruskin pathways. The Proposal Team confirmed that this was not the case. An Anglia
Ruskin module would be taught and marked by the same individual. The tutors involved in
the delivery of the Anglia Ruskin modules were detailed in Document 3 of the franchise
approval documentation [c.f. List of Module Tutors and Module Codes & Titles (for inclusion
in the Register of Teaching Staff) at the end of this report].
5.3
The Panel drew the Proposal Team’s attention to Anglia Ruskin’s regulation that no more
than 20% of a student’s assessment may be considered prior to its formal submission. The
Proposal Team complemented the LSM on the comprehensiveness of the feedback it
provides currently to its CIM students but alerted them to fulfil Anglia Ruskin’s requirements
in its delivery of the Anglia Ruskin modules.
5.4
The Panel queried the Proposal Team’s strategy for identifying poor academic practice and
plagiarism. The Proposal Team confirmed that the independent nature of the Research
Methods and Major Project assessments restricted students’ opportunities to submit work
which was unoriginal and confirmed that the use of Turn-It-In was well-established at the
LSM. The Panel agreed that detection of poor academic practice would be a joint
endeavour with the Faculty and recommended that the Proposal Team liaise with the
Director of Studies (Essex) to disseminate our University and AIBS’ policy and processes
successfully.
Quality Assurance Division
5
Confirmed
6
STAFFING, LEARNING RESOURCES AND STUDENT SUPPORT
6.1
The Panel was taken on a tour of the facilities available to LSM students at Imperial
College, London. Imperial is the main venue for LSM’s current curriculum delivery although
they also deliver courses at Birbeck, King’s College, and University College, London. The
Proposal Team confirmed that Anglia Ruskin’s pathways would be delivered at Birkbeck
(full-time provision) and Imperial College, London (part-time provision between 6 and 9
pm). The Panel toured the Student Learning Centre and saw the lecture rooms hired by
the LSM, which seat approximately forty students and are equipped with DVD player,
projector, laptop, wi-fi connection, whiteboards and flicharts. Hot drinks and biscuits are
available on a self-service basis outside the classrooms. Lecture notes are uploaded onto
the LSM student platform but tutors are similarly mindful not to reduce student attendance
by making all material easily available outside the lecture theatre.
6.2
The Panel queried the physical library access available to LSM students. The Proposal
Team confirmed that an LSM Student Card enabled students to receive an Imperial library
card with reading rights only. The Proposal Team conceded that there was not an
extensive collection of marketing texts in Imperial’s library. However, through their licence
with NetLibrary, the LSM has access to one hundred CIM-recommended texts. As many of
their students are in full-time employment and studying part-time the LSM has found that
on-line texts are often of greater use to their students than access to a physical library.
6.3
The Proposal Team explained that, in addition to their own NetLibrary licence, Anglia
Ruskin registration would provide the students with access to Anglia Ruskin’s digital library
and also the Library+ Scheme. The Panel queried Anglia Ruskin’s status within the
Library+ Scheme and that of its collaborative partners. The Panel strongly recommended
that the Proposal Team liaise with Faculty Liaison Librarian prior to student registration.
The Proposal Team confirmed that extra resources would be committed to provide
additional resources in LSM’s e-library. Access to EBSCO and Emerald is available at the
University of London libraries and an Athens password would be provided with students’
Anglia Ruskin registration. The Proposal Team queried whether resources such as SPSS
licences would be devolved from Anglia Ruskin.
6.4
The Proposal Team confirmed that, since the Institutional Approval, two additional
administrators had been appointed to LSM’s Brompton Head Office. The Head Office
comprises LSM’s accounts, marketing and operations functions, and operates an opendoor policy on Fridays so that students can meet their tutors. Furthermore, the Head Office
is open until 6.30 pm on Mondays to Thursdays and 5.30 pm on Fridays if students wish to
raise any queries face-to-face with LSM staff. The original four members of staff has
expanded to eight, supported by twenty lecturing associates, ten to fifteen tutors, and six
software engineers to maintain their on-line teaching and administration platform.
6.5
The Proposal Team explained their on-line administration platform to the Panel.
Application forms are scanned and uploaded onto the platform, together with any
supporting certification. This has enabled the LSM to operate an almost paperless
administration system. The system is added to with students’ funding status, results, etc to
provide the complete student record. The student portal element of the platform contains
their Handbook, sample assignments, and details of the Harvard Referencing System.
Students are able to upload draft assessments for tutors’ feedback. Access to the on-line
system will be extended to the Faculty’s Director of UK/Corporate Programmes and Paul
Weeks to enable information transfer.
6.6
The Panel queried the liaison and staff development already undertaken and proposed.
The Proposal Team confirmed that Anglia Ruskin’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)
and Director of Academic Office were scheduled to give an induction workshop on 12th
February 2009 on our University’s Vision and Values and Academic Regulations (2nd
edition – July 2008). The LSM’s Academic Manager would be meeting regularly with AIBS’
Quality Assurance Division
6
Confirmed
Director of UK/Corporate Partnerships and the Marketing Pathway Leader. The Panel
recommended the development of opportunities for co-teaching and reciprocal teaching
arrangements.
6.7
The Panel questioned how personal mentoring would be undertaken and the proposed
processes for identifying students that were struggling in their studies and the proposed
support networks for them. The Proposal Team confirmed that the Pathway Leader would
also fulfil the role of Personal Tutor initially. The Operations Manager would fulfil the role of
Student Adviser. The Pathway Leaders designate and the Operations Manager are fulltime members of LSM staff and thus are available at the Brompton Head Office or by email. The Panel remained a little unclear on the roles of Lecturers, Associate Lecturers
and Tutors and requested that the definitions be provided. These should also be included
within the Student Handbook for greater clarity to students.
6.8
The Proposal Team confirmed that they did not have facilities to diagnose students’
learning needs, where necessary. The Panel confirmed that Anglia Ruskin did not receive
funding to support collaborative partners in this area. The Panel strongly recommended
that this issue be addressed to ensure all students are supported appropriately.
6.9
The Proposal Team tabled a model for Major Project supervision. The Proposal Team
were confident that they had sufficient and appropriate expertise within their current
lecturing team to support the first year of delivery. The anticipated increase in student
numbers in the second year would require the appointment of additional supervisors. The
LSM receives several quality CVs each week from individuals seeking teaching posts. The
Proposal Team was confident that appropriate, PhD-qualified tutors would be appointed.
Dr George Panagiotou, Dr Paul Martin and AIBS’ Paul Weeks had been identified as the
initial Major Project supervisors. As all three were marketing specialists the Proposal Team
was confident that they could supervise all topics. The Panel recommended that a Major
Project supervision model for ratio of students to tutor should be developed by the Faculty
and disseminated for the adoption of all collaborative partners.
6.10
Supervision would primarily be electronic, via e-mail. However, LSM had recently
purchased a Breeze video-conferencing system which would facilitate supervision by
Webcam. The Panel strongly recommended that the initial supervisory meeting should be
face-to-face to establish a rapport before continuing with a more distant form of
communication. Additionally, the Panel strongly recommended that the mixed media of
supervision with a strong emphasis on electronic communication should be made clear to
students from the outset and should be stated explicitly in the Module Guide.
6.11
The Proposal Team confirmed that a dedicated administrator within the Faculty Admin.
Office would be identified, who would liaise directly with LSM’s Operations Manager. The
Panel recommended an early meeting of administrative colleagues at the LSM and within
the Faculty to ensure clear dissemination of information, in particular (re)assessment
processes and deadlines. An induction programme by AIBS staff would be provided prior
to curriculum delivery and ongoing to establish the delivery’s development.
7
QUALITY ASSURANCE AND ENHANCEMENT
7.1
Monthly meetings are held currently for the CIM students’ representatives with the
Operations Manager. The Proposal Team confirmed that a similar process would be
extended for Anglia Ruskin students on the model of Anglia Ruskin Programme
Committees. These meetings would be minuted and issues referred for the attention of the
appropriate Faculty-based Programme Committee. The Proposal Team confirmed that the
grievance and complaints processes would be outlined to students at their induction
session. Further to this Anglia Ruskin students at LSM will complete Module Evaluation
Quality Assurance Division
7
Confirmed
Questionnaires which will feed into the standard quality processes within the Faculty and
the delivery will be considered within the standard annual monitoring process.
7.2
The Proposal Team confirmed that an invitation would be extended to appropriate
colleagues at the LSM to the Business & Management Discipline Network Group meetings,
which are held semesterly to discuss curriculum initiatives, curriculum revisions and
operational issues.
8
NATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL AND STATUTORY BODY REQUIREMENTS
8.1
The Panel noted that the pathways are not subject to national, professional or statutory
body requirements although liaison with the CIM is undertaken on behalf of all delivery
locations by the Faculty Pathway Leader to ensure that the pathways continue to reflect the
CIM’s requirements and professional standards.
9
DOCUMENTATION
9.1
The Panel considered the draft Student Handbooks and recommended that various details
regarding the curriculum delivery be included to ensure that expectations were wellmanaged [c.f. paragraphs 4.1, 5.1, 5.3, 6.7, and 6.10).
10
CONFIRMATION OF STANDARDS OF AWARDS
10.1
The Panel confirmed that the proposed franchise of BA (Hons) Marketing [final stage] and
MA Marketing & Innovation [final stage] satisfied the University’s Academic Regulations
with regard to the definitions and academic standards of Anglia Ruskin awards and, hence,
the QAA’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
DRAFT
UNCONFIRMED
CONFIRMED
FILE REF
OFFICE FILE REF
Quality Assurance Division
8
4th February 2009
5th February 2009
9th March 2009
J:\Administration\Academic Office\Quality
Assurance Division\Events\2008-09\AIBS\BU08
Franchise to London School of
Marketing\Reports\LSM franchise report.doc
AIBS/UG-PG/89/BA (Hons) Marketing and MA
Marketing & Innovation at London School of
Marketing
Confirmed
SECTION C – DETAILS OF PANEL MEMBERSHIP AND PROPOSAL TEAM
Internal Panel Members:
Dr Iain Brodie (Chair)
Associate Dean (Quality)
Faculty of Science & Technology
Cajiten D’Silva
Head of UK Partnerships & Progression
Learning Development Services
Dr Margaret Hutt
Director of Studies
Faculty of Education
External Panel Members:
Sally Harridge-March
Department of Marketing & Retail Management
Oxford Brookes Business School
Oxford Brookes University
Executive Officer:
Claire Moorey
Faculty Quality Assurance Officer (Ashcroft International Business
School)
Quality Assurance Division, Academic Office
Technical Officer:
Lucy Gray
Academic Regulations Officer
Quality Assurance Division, Academic Office
Members of Proposal Team:
Nadith Kawshalya
Academic Manager and BA (Hons) Marketing Pathway Leader
designate
London School of Marketing
Anton Dominique
Strategy Director and MA Marketing & Innovation Pathway Leader
designate
London School of Marketing
Dr Jenny Gilbert
Deputy Dean
Ashcroft International Business School
Dr George Panagiotou
Academic Consultant and Internal Verifier
London School of Marketing
Paul Weeks
BA (Hons) Marketing and MA Marketing & Innovation Pathway
Leader
Ashcroft International Business School
Gareth Wu
Operations Manager
London School of Marketing
Quality Assurance Division
9
Confirmed
SECTION D – OUTCOME DATA
Programme
Department
Faculty
Collaborative Partner
New/amended Awards
Approved (nb intended awards
UK/Corporate Programmes
Chelmsford
Ashcroft International Business School
London School of Marketing
Title(s) of Named Pathway(s)
Attendance mode
and duration
only, not intermediate awards)
BA (Hons) [final stage]
Marketing
Full-time – 1½
years
Part-time – 3 years
MA [final stage]
Marketing and Innovation
Full-time – one
semester
Part-time – two
semesters
Validating body (if not Anglia Ruskin University)
Professional body accreditation
Proposal Team Leader
Month and Year of the first intake
Standard intake points
Maximum and minimum student numbers
Date of first Conferment of Award(s)
Any additional/specialised wording to appear on
transcript and/or award certificate
Date of next scheduled Periodic Review
Awards and Titles to be deleted (with month/year of last
regular conferment)
Not applicable
Chartered Institute of Marketing
Nadith Kawshalya
February 2009 - MA Marketing & Innovation
September 2009 - BA (Hons) Marketing
September and February
24 max.; 10 min.
July 2009
None
To be confirmed
None
NEW MODULES APPROVED
None.
Quality Assurance Division
10
Confirmed
FOR FRANCHISE APPROVALS ONLY: LIST OF MODULE TUTORS AND MODULE CODES & TITLES
(FOR INCLUSION IN THE REGISTER OF TEACHING STAFF)
Anton Dominique
Nadith Kawshalya
Kurren Kalantri
Dr Peter Martin
Dr George Panagiotou
Quality Assurance Division
BB215005S Information Systems, BC215010S Research Skills,
BD315010S International Marketing, BD315013S Marketing
Consultancy, BC330998D Undergraduate Major Project, BC445998D
Postgraduate Major Project
BC230001S International Business, BC315017S Strategic Management,
BD315016S Strategic Marketing: A Contemporary Review, BD315019S
Business-to-Business Marketing, BC330998D Undergraduate Major
Project, BC445998D Postgraduate Major Project
BB215005S Information Systems, BC230001S International Business,
BC315017S Strategic Management, BD315010S International Marketing,
BD315016S Strategic Marketing: A Contemporary Review, BC330998D
Undergraduate Major Project
BC315006S Ethics & Governance, BD315019S Business-to-Business
Marketing, BC330998D Undergraduate Major Project, BC415020S
Research Methods for Managers, BC445998D Postgraduate Major
Project
BC215010S Research Skills, BC315006S Ethics & Governance,
BD315013S Marketing Consultancy, BC330998D Undergraduate Major
Project, BC415020S Research Methods for Managers, BC445998D
Postgraduate Major Project
11
Confirmed
Appendix 1
Pathway Specification form (PSF)
Technical Report
Submit PSFs electronically to: Claire Moorey
by: 28 February 2009
Award
BA (Hons)
Pathway Title
Marketing
Required amendments
Section 3 Delivery: Please add delivery site for LSM
Section 7 Pathway Co-ordinators: Please LSM coordinator
Section 17 Entry Requirements: Please add LSM entry
requirements
Section 26 Structure Diagram: Please add Full time
structure diagram shown in Document 1 of approval
documentation and please add a Part time structure
diagram.
Award
MA
Pathway Title
Marketing and Innovation
Required amendments
Section 3 Delivery: Please add delivery site for LSM
Section 7 Pathway Co-ordinators: Please LSM coordinator
Section 17 Entry Requirements: Please add LSM entry
requirements
Section 26 Structure Diagram: Please add Full time
structure diagram shown in Document 1 of approval
documentation and please add a Part time structure
diagram.
Lucy Gray
Academic Regulations Officer
26th January 2009
Quality Assurance Division