Faculty sign off and actions template (Please note that ARPP 4A – Programme Approval, Review and Closure: Policy and Procedureshould be read and referred to in conjunction with completion of this form)

  • TheFaculty approval process and participants should be determined by Deputy Dean Education and Professional Practice (DDEPP) depending on scope and nature of the proposal being considered.
  • Participants of Faculty level approval processes are expected to familiarise themselves with this checklist and actions template before reading the documentation provided, to enable them to consider whether all necessary information and requirements of the Faculty and BU have been included and that the documentation is fit for presentation to the external panel;
  • Only action points with any relevant briefs notes, a deadline and who is responsible are recorded on this template
  • Some items below may have been discussed within the Faculty and recorded on this template;
  • The completed Faculty sign off and actions template is provided to the External Panel meeting as part of audit trail (normally as an appendix to the Briefing and Resources document)

Programme(s)
Date
ATTENDEES
Name / Title
Agenda Item / Brief notes (bullet points) or answer Yes / No / N/A / Actions and deadline / Responsibility / Actions confirmed as complete (by DDEPP)

INTRODUCTION

  • Introduction and rationale for the programme(s)
  • Has Faculty Executive consideration taken place and is the completed actions template provided

MARKET (for new programmes)
Discussion where appropriate - Faculty Executive may have already signed these points off as been satisfactory:
  • What market research has been undertaken / has the BU market research team been involved
  • Has the programme title been investigated?
  • Applicant demand and interest
  • Competition and unique selling point/proposition (USP)
  • Anticipated student numbers per programme

PHYSICAL AND ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Confirmation that the Director of Operations has considered the course costing, financial viability and resource requirements for the programme(s) and Faculty Executive sign off has been obtained

CURRICULUM AND STRUCTURE

Alignment with internal frames of reference to ensure the programme(s) fit with the current academic footprint of BU:
  • Programme structure and curriculum design characteristics:
Education including Technology Enhanced Learning
Employability, Work-based Learning and Professional Practice
Research Informed Education
Student Engagement and Co-creation
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Creativity
Globalisation, Internationalisation and Sustainability
Personal and Professional Development
  • Consider any relevant items on the programme, Department or Faculty AMER action plans as appropriate.

  • Do the programme(s) align with the BU Common Academic Structure (CAS)

  • Do Postgraduate Taught programmes offer a January start

  • For reviews: Discuss transitional arrangements for current students if they are to transfer to the new version of the curriculum in line with the Consumer Law requirements and communication of ‘significant’ changes. The Faculty will be required to communicate significant changes made to the programme to current students as soon as the review is complete.
  • Does the Faculty consider the change(s) to be ‘significant’ and/or have the potential for a negative impact on students? If yes, instigate the follow up process following the CMA significant change and impact action template.

  • For reviews: Discuss changes that apply to current applicants or potential/future applicants arising from the review process and the Consumer Law requirements in relation to communication of ‘significant’ changes. The Faculty will be required to communicate significant changes made to the programme to current applicants as soon as the review is complete.
  • Does the Faculty consider the change(s) to be ‘significant’ and/or have the potential for a negative impact oncurrent applicants? If yes, instigate the follow up process following the CMA significant change and impact action template.
  • Does the Faculty consider the change(s) to be ‘significant’ and/or have the potential for a negative impact onpotential/future applicants? If yes, instigate the follow up process following the CMA significant change and impact action template.

  • Has a placement been included (mandatory for undergraduate programmes)

  • Has there been input from industry/professional practice and other relevant stakeholders

  • PSRB approval/accreditation planned or anticipated in the future (if applicable)

  • Confirm arrangements for curriculum mapping for internal Progression (if applicable). Confirm documentation mapping the learning outcomes between the two BU programmes has been provided, and that there is academic coherence allowing seamless progression between the two programmes.

  • Identify and agree the impact of any common units e.g. for the programme being approved/reviewed or other programmes which may share units

  • Are there any operational aspects to be considered if the programme or any units are of a non-standard nature

  • Are there any cross-Faculty arrangements to consider

  • Is there a Memorandum of Agreement or other collaborative agreement to be signed (if applicable)

  • Comments on the wider curriculum structure prior to submission to the external panel – in particular identify and confirm from the Faculty perspective any new/unusual aspect of the programme design.

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Non-academic requirements (accommodation, buses, catering, sport and other facilities important to the student experience) for programmes which do not fit with the standard BU academic calendar e.g. PG programmes which run over a full calendar year
  • Faculties are asked to inform BU Residential Services () of new programmes and the target / confirmed numbers as soon as possible for programmes which offer additional start dates, e.g. January intakes, or programmes that differ in length from the traditional academic year

  • Comments on the wider student experience prior to submission to the external panel

DOCUMENTATION
  • Does the Briefing and Resources document follow the current template
  • Have all sections of the Briefing and Resources document been fully completed
  • Has the Briefing and Resources document been signed on the front page and in the Resources section
  • Does the Programme Specification follow the current template
  • Have all sections of the Programme Specification been fully completed
  • Do the Unit Specifications follow the current template
  • Have all sections of each Unit Specification been fully completed
  • Will a Placement Handbook be provided to the External Panel meeting
  • Will the key aspects of the latest AMERbe provided to the External Panel meeting (for reviews)

EXTERNAL PANEL MEETING

Confirmation of:
  • date
  • internal and external panel members
  • approval process with PSRB (if applicable)
  • student/graduate, employer, other stakeholders, subject librarian, learning technologist and Faculty attendance on the day
  • deadline for documentation updates

ALL ACTIONS IDENTIFIED ABOVE CONFIRMED AS COMPLETE AND DOCUMENTS NOW READY FOR THE EXTERNAL PANEL MEETING
Signed on behalf of the Faculty by the Deputy Dean Education and Professional Practice (DDEPP)
Signature (electronic):
Position:
Date: