University for the Creative ArtsSection J

TEMPLATE J9

QUALITY ASSURANCE HANDBOOK

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP

LINK LIAISON DOCUMENT

Validation Panel’s Cover Sheet for Course Link Liaison Document

It is the responsibility of the Validation Panel to consider, and approve, the contents of the Link Liaison Document in full, this coversheet acts as an aide-memoir to ensure the panel has considered / approved the following vital areas.

Section 1 [tick one]

[ ] UCA CCF is approved credit framework

[ ] Own credit framework approved by panel and condition of validation will be that credit framework is approved by UCA’s Academic Board

[ ] Own credit framework (already approved by previous validation panel and academic board as partner already has courses run in collaboration with UCA)

Section 5 [tick one]

[ ] Panel approved the Boards of Examiners to be held at partner institution

[ ] Panel approved the Boards of Examiners to be held at UCA

Section 10

[ ] Panel is satisfied that the Link Liaison Document articulates how assessment will be conducted (in particular detailing number of internal verification visits)

Section 13

[ ] Panel has approved the student survey to be used by the partner for this course (NSS / UCA’s ISS)

Section 14

[ ] Month by month planner has been completed fully with dates inserted appropriately

Section 15

[ ] Alphabetical grid has been completed fully and follows the guidance provided in J10 (or the panel agrees, where this differs, that it is appropriate for the collaboration in question)

TEMPLATE J9

QUALITY ASSURANCE HANDBOOK

COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP

LINK LIAISON DOCUMENT

LINK LIAISON DOCUMENT

[Insert Partner Institution]

[Insert Course Title]

[Insert Academic Year]

This document is concerned with the operation of [insert validated course name] at [insert partner name]. Details of the Partner Institutional Level processes can be found in Section J of the QA Handbook.

  1. Key Information at a glance

Date Institution initially approved
Approved Credit Framework for course
Date Institution last Re-approved
Date Institution next to be reviewed
Date course initially Validated
Date course underwent periodic review / re-validation
Date course next to undergo periodic review
University Link Tutor (and Internal Verifier)
Partner Link Tutor
Link Faculty and School that course has been aligned to
Course Leader (if different from Partner Link Tutor)
External Examiner
  1. Background Information on Partner Institution

Use this section to put in a briefintroduction to the partner Institution, including any key background information that would be useful to the reader.

  1. Key Contacts

3.1Academic Link Details

Post / Name / Tel no / Email
UCA Link Tutor*
Partner Link Tutor*
UCA Senior Link Tutor (if applicable)
Partner Subject Link Tutor (if applicable)

* the Link Tutors are the key points of contact for the named course

3.2UCA School Details & School Administrative contacts

Post / Name / Tel no / Email
UCA Link School
(school responsible for AAM, course boards etc)
Link Head of School
UCA Campus Registrar for course
Key UCA Faculty Quality Officer (clerks School Boards, requests annual changes to courses, AAM reports, arranges Boards of Examiners etc)

3.3UCA Central Departments

Post / Name / Tel no / Email
UCA Head of QAE
Key UCA QAE Contact (queries regarding External Examiners, Institutional Monitoring process and re-approval process, Student Survey)
UCA Head of Finance
Key UCA Finance Contact (annual finance schedule, fee payments)

3.4Partner [insert partner name] central Departments

Post / Name / Tel no / Email
Partner course administrator contact
Partner Head of QAE
Key partner QAE Contact (queries regarding External Examiners, Institutional Monitoring process and re-approval process, assessment, student survey)
Partner Head of Finance
Key partner Finance Contact (annual finance schedule, fee payments)
  1. Link Tutors responsibilities

4.1 Role of the UCA Senior Link Tutor (if one appointed)

  • Ensure the annual updating of this Course Liaison Link Document (thereby ensuring schedule for internal verification visits annually, annual academic monitoring process communicated, course annual minor modifications process communicated, up to date contacts maintained etc, etc)
  • Act as main point of contact between UCA and partner [insert name]
  • Oversee nominations of external examiner appointments and liaison with partner regarding external examiners
  • Arrange for student work from the partner institution to be seen by the external examiner
  • Work with the partner to agree the size and composition of the sample of student work to be verified in accordance with the current UCA Assessment Regulations
  • Assist and support the Link Tutors with Boards of Examiners in the collaborative partners where the University award will be considered (they may also be required to delegate for the Head of School as the Chair of the Board of Examiners)
  • Monitor entry qualifications of students at [insert partner name] to ensure that they comply with course validation requirements and ensure that [insert partner name] follows UCA procedures in respect of APL submissions–
  • Participate in any periodic review, validations or other quality assurance processes (e.g. QERP’s)
  • Attend the annual Collaborative Partner meeting in Feb / March
  • Ensure that the partner institution prepares an Annual Monitoring Report to UCA specifications, and that this report is discussed at the relevant School Board
  • Ensure that enrolment data is forwarded to the Student Administration Department and College Registrar
  • Ensure [insert partner name] is annually undertaking the student survey approved at validation (this will normally be either the NSS, PTES or UCA’s Internal Student Survey)with all students registered for a UCA award
  • Contribution / assistance as required towards Institutional level monitoring, re-approval process

4.2 Role of UCA Link Tutor / Internal Verifier

Please note: if a Senior Link Tutor is not appointed the UCA Link Tutor is also responsible for the areas listed above under 4.1

  • Annually update this Course Liaison Link Document (thereby ensuring schedule for internal verification visits annually, annual academic monitoring process communicated, course annual minor modifications process communicated, up to date contacts maintained etc, etc)
  • Be the subject specific conduit between the University and the Partner Institution
  • Advise the Senior Link tutor on appropriate external examiner nominations
  • Visit the partner institution three times a year, to verify assessment and to attend as a member of the Boards of Examiners
  • After verification of the sample, to complete the UCA Internal Verification Form (Annex 3 of this document) for presentation at, and inclusion in the minutes of, the Board of Examiners
  • Participate in any periodic review, validations or other quality assurance processes (e.g. QERP’s)
  • Attend the annual Collaborative Partner meeting in Feb / March
  • Ensure the agenda and action list of the validated courses’ Course Board are received by the School Board of Study(if the partner [insert partner name] Link Liaison tutor / Course Leader is not in person at the UCA School Board of Study to feedback

4.3 Role of [insert partner name] Link Tutor (normally the Course Leader)

  • Be the subject specific conduit between [insert partner name] and UCA
  • Work with the UCA Link Tutor / Senior Link Tutor on the annual completion of this Course Liaison Link Document (thereby agreeing schedule for visits to [insert partner name] and schedule for Course Boards, maintaining up to date contacts for [insert partner name]
  • Be responsible for the day to day administration and oversight of the operation of [insert validated course name]
  • Respond appropriately to student feedback and be the main contact for students registered on [insert validated course name]
  • Recommend appropriate external examiners to the UCA Senior Link Tutor
  • Provide a sample of work to be internally verified
  • Organise, arrange and attend UCA Boards of Examiners’ to be held at [insert partner name]
  • Ensure appropriate entry qualification of students (in line with course validation requirements) and ensure UCA procedures with respect to APL submissions are followed
  • Make sure that enrolment data is accurate and received by UCA in accordance with the agreed schedule
  • Oversee the preparation of the Annual Academic Monitoring Report
  • Attend, or send a nominated representative to the UCA Link School’s autumn School Board for consideration of the Annual Academic Monitoring Report
  • Attend the annual Collaborative Partner meeting in Feb / March
  • Oversee the administration of the student survey approved at validation (this will normally be either the NSS, PTES or UCA’s Internal Student Survey) with all students registered for a UCA award
  • Oversee / ensure the analysis of the student survey data by [insert partner name]

  1. Key Committee Structure

The partnership between UCA and [insert partner name] is monitored and directed by various committees. The key committees are listed below. See Annex 1 for the Terms of Reference and Membership for these committees.

5.1 Annual Collaborative Partner Meeting

The Annual Collaborative Partner meeting is held in Feb / March each year and is concerned with the collaboration at Institutional level. It is held at [insert partner name]. It is chaired by UCA’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) (the Chair of AQC) and has membership representing all courses at [insert partner name] which are awarded by UCA. It considers contractual issues, course operation and liaison, resources, recruitment and marketing, staff development. The Institutional Annual Monitoring is considered at this senior meeting.

5.2 Collaborative Link Tutors Forum

The forum is chaired by UCA’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic Development) and involves UCA Link Tutors for all UCA awards delivered in collaboration with a partner and at least one representative from each collaborative partner. It meets once a year in the autumn.

5.3 School Boards of Study

[insert link school name here] School Board of Study will meet at least three times a year (normally one meeting per term) at UCA. All Course Leaders from the Schools subject area attend. The Course Leader for [insert validated course name] (which should also be the Link Tutor for this course) will be invited to attend the relevant Link School Board. The School Board oversees collaboration, including annual monitoring, the student experience and curriculum development.

The School Board receives and approves Annual Monitoring Reports at its autumn term meeting and non material changes at either its autumn or spring term meeting.

5.4 Course Boards

All Course Leaders chair a Course Board of Study once a term which feeds into the School Board of Study.

The Course Leader for [insert validated course name] chairs a Course Board once a term at [insert partner name]. The Board includes academic staff teaching on the course, student representatives and the UCA Link tutor should be a member. The Course Leader for [insert validated course name] or Link Tutor (if different from Course Leader) should liaise with the College Registrar / key UCA Campus Registry contact regarding the agenda. The autumn term meeting should receive the annual monitoring report / Link Liaison Document and either the autumn or spring Course Board should receive non material changes to curriculum.The agenda and action list of [insert validated course name] Course Board are received by the School Board of Study (if the [insert partner name] Link Liaison tutor / Course Leader is not in person at the UCA School Board of Study to feedback).

5.5 Boards of Examiners

In accordance with the CCF for taught programmes UCA operates a single-tier Board of Examiners structure. UCA’s QAE department is responsible for scheduling main Board of Examiners and resit Board of Examiners at the start of the academic year and disseminating to Campus Registry who then undertake administration of the boards.

[choose from one of the two statements below and delete the statement that does not apply. The Course Validation Panel will approve this at its meeting and will refer to document xx which gives guidance]:

[insert validated course name] will be considered at the Board of Examiners to be held at [insert partnername]. The Board of Examiners will consider all courses held at [insert partner name] which lead to UCA awards. The Head of [insert UCA link School] will chair the Board of Examiners held at [insert partner name].

[ OR ]

[insert validated course name] will be considered at the [insert UCA link school] Board of Examiners to be held at UCA and chaired by the Head of [insert UCA link school].

  1. How the administrative liaison will work

Good liaison between the Link School, UCA Link Tutor, [insert partner name] Link Tutor and the UCA Campus Registry is key to ensuring the success of the operation of the [insert validated course name] within UCA guidelines.

6.1 Campus Registry / Campus Registrar

Once the Event Validation Panel approves the course the UCA Campus Registrar will ensure the partner Course Leader is added to their Course Leader email group (and partner course administrator contact) to ensure they receive all communications sent out from the Campus Registry with regards to changes to process, reminders about annual academic monitoring deadlines etc.

The UCA Campus Registrar will also contact UCA’s IT Helpdesk and request / complete an external account form to enable the partner’s Link Tutor / Course Leader to access UCAs intranet.

The UCA Campus Registry will ensure the partner course holds Course Boards that feed into the Link School Board of Study and that the agenda and action list of the validated courses’ Course Board are received by the School Board of Study (if the partner [insert partner name] Link Liaison tutor / Course Leader is not in person at the UCA School Board of Study to feedback).

6.2 The Link School

The Link School [insert school] at UCA will be responsible for ensuring that the validated course undergoes the same quality procedures as the UCA courses within their school (i.e. AAM report received and considered at School Board, termly Course Board feedback to School Board,non material curriculum changes considered and approved by School Board). They will also ensure they are invited to any School specific staff training that is arranged.

6.3 UCA Link Tutor / Partner Link Tutor

The Link Tutors are responsible for annually updating this Link Liaison Document. It should be submitted to their Key QAE Contact at the start of September and then received by the Course Board and Link School Board alongside the Course AAM report at the Autumn Boards.

  1. Periodic Review

7.1 Periodic Review

Normally a course is subject to periodic review every five years (unless otherwise agreed in its initial validation or last periodic review event).

Periodic course review is the process by which thorough scrutiny is given to a course, including (at both unit and course level) its curriculum, aims, learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment strategies. It includes consideration of the quality performance data relating to that course over the period since the last periodic course review.

The periodic review event will be held at [insert partner name]. This Link Liaison Document will form part of the documentation considered at the periodic review event for [insert validated course name].

Details on the periodic review process can be found in Section H of the Quality Assurance Handbook

  1. Course Annual Academic Monitoring

An Annual Academic Monitoring report for [insert validated course] will berequired in September of every year. The report is considered at the Course Board and then at the Link School Board. The updated Link Liaison Document is considered alongside the AAM Report.

Through the AAM [insert validated course name] will be required to comment on a number of areas namely:

  • progress on the rolling Quality Action Plan;
  • evaluation of student feedback;
  • student data: retention & attrition figures etc;
  • External Examiner feedback;
  • Quality Action Plan for the coming year.

Details on the Annual Academic Monitoring process including forms can be found in Section F of the Quality Assurance Handbook

This process is separate to the Institute Level Annual Monitoring which occurs in January each year (details are in Section J of the QA Handbook).

  1. Changes to Courses

Normally changes to non-franchised courses take place as part of the Periodic Review Process. However, there are occasions where changes to courses are necessary outside of the quinquennial review period in order to address student feedback, annual monitoring data outcomes or national developments within the subject area.

UCA define changes to courses as either material or non-material. For further information about these definitions, please refer to Table E1 of the Course Changes process which is detailed in Section E of the Quality Assurance Handbook: