University for the Creative Arts Section J

TEMPLATE J8
QUALITY ASSURANCE HANDBOOK
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Partnership Agreement between the UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS and [legal name of partner institution]

Registered office: [registered address of partner institution’s head office]

Date Partnership Agreement starts : [date partnership due to commence]

Duration of Partnership Agreement : [3 years for initial partnership agreement] or [5 years for subsequent post re-approval agreements unless agreed otherwise as part of Institutional

Re-Approval]

Date of expiry of this Agreement : [duration of contract from start date]

Type of Partnership Agreement

1 / Articulation Agreement for pre-degree courses / No/yes
2 / Validation of partner institution’s undergraduate courses / No/yes
3 / Validation of partner institution’s postgraduate courses / No/yes
4 / Franchise Agreement / No/yes
5 / Agreement for Dual Awards / No/yes
6 / Other – specify in this agreement / No/yes

[This Partnership Agreement covers the franchising to [legal name of partner institution] of the courses detailed in Appendix 2 and validated by the University for the Creative Arts (THE UNIVERSITY):

For the purposes of this Agreement, ‘Franchising’ refers to an arrangement by which THE UNIVERSITY approves the delivery of a number of its validated awards by a partner institution.]

[AND/OR]

[This Partnership Agreement covers the validation and approval by the University for the Creative Arts (THE UNIVERSITY) of the [UNDERGRADUATE / POSTGRADUATE] degree level courses, taught by [legal name of partner institution], and detailed in Appendix 2.

[AND/OR]

These awards are dual awards, and as such students meeting the requirements may obtain the following awards conferred by [legal name of partner institution] as awarding body:

1. list courses and awards for which these courses form part of the requirements

[Legal name of Partner Institution] is responsible for the academic standards of the awards conferred under its name and for the regulation of any associated additional requirements to those stipulated within this Partnership Agreement.]

The purposes of this Agreement are:

i) To define the means by which THE UNIVERSITY’s academic standards will be maintained

ii) To set out the rights and responsibilities of each partner

iii) To ensure that the arrangement operates smoothly with clear channels of authority and communication

iv) To limit the scope of this arrangement to the [X] courses named in Appendix 2, and students enrolled with the [legal name of partner institution] on these courses validated by THE UNIVERSITY.

[This Agreement is concerned solely with the management of the partnership as concerns the awards conferred under THE UNIVERSITY’s Taught Degree Awarding Powers.]

This Agreement has been made between THE UNIVERSITY and the [legal name of partner institution] in compliance with THE UNIVERSITY’S policies and the QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education, as varied from time to time. It takes account of the requirements of the QAA as at the date of signature of the Agreement. Should the requirements of the QAA change during the term of this Agreement, THE UNIVERSITY and the [legal name of partner institution] will consider in a spirit of mutual co-operation what changes may need to be made to the Agreementand what, if any, additional agreement or agreements may need to be put in place between them in order to ensure the successful continued operation of the courses covered by this Agreement. This Agreement is underpinned by detailed arrangements for delivery and management of the collaborative courses covered by the Agreement, as specified in the Context Document approved by THE UNIVERSITY at the validation of those courses.

1. / Definitions
1.1 / In this Agreement the following words and expressions shall carry the following meanings save where the context indicates otherwise:-
Academic Award
An award conferred by the UNIVERSITY under the authority of its Academic Board, as defined in the academic regulations.
Academic year
The academic year runs from 1 September of any calendar year and ending on 31 August of the following calendar year.
Annual Academic Monitoring
The process by which the UNIVERSITY undertakes course level scrutiny of quantitative and quality data to:
· Confirm academic standards and quality of students’ learning opportunities
· Provide a focus for targeted action planning to maintain and enhance standards
· Identify any causes for concerns or risks to the quality of provision
Full details of this process are provided in section F of the UNIVERSITY Quality Assurance Handbook.
Annual Fee
The annual fee charged by the UNIVERSITY of [legal name of partner institution] for the services specified in this Agreement.
Annual Tuition Fee
The annual tuition fee charged by [legal name of partner institution] to students enrolled on the UNIVERSITY’s awards.
Cohort
Group of students enrolled for the same mode, course and level of study during an academic session.
Confidential Information
All secret or confidential commercial, financial and technical information, know-how, trade secrets, inventions, computer software and any other information in any form or medium, whether disclosed orally or in writing, together with all reproductions in any form or medium, and any part or parts of it.
Institutional Approval
The process by which the UNIVERSITY assesses the suitability of a proposed partner institution for the development of academic collaborations. This normally follows on from the successful completion of a due diligence exercise for the partner institution. Full details of this process are provided in Section J of the UNIVERSITY Quality Assurance Handbook.
Intellectual Property
All inventions, patents, trade marks, registered designs, and any pending applications therefore, unregistered design rights arising at common law, design rights, copyrights (including future copyrights), database rights, know-how, trade secrets, Confidential Information and any other intellectual property rights whatsoever.
Partnership Agreement
The legally binding agreement between [legal name of partner] and the UNIVERSITY which sets out the terms and conditions under which the partnership will operate and defining the roles and responsibilities of each party.
Periodic Review
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 initial validation or the last periodic course review. Full details of this process are provided in Section H of the UNIVERSITY Quality Assurance Handbook.
Quality Enhancement Review Process
The UNIVERSITY has established the Quality Enhancement Review process to be used where a course has been identified as ‘at risk’ in relation to quality and standards, through not meeting one or more of a set of threshold standards for management confidence in the health of a course. These threshold standards are agreed annually by the Academic Quality Committee. The process is a formal quality review mechanism enabling management consideration of underperformance. Further information about the QER process is provided in Section F of the UNIVERSITY Quality Assurance Handbook.
Validation
The process by which thorough scrutiny is given to a new course, including (at both unit and course level) its curriculum, aims, learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment strategies. Full details of this process are provided in Section C of the UNIVERSITY Quality Assurance Handbook.
2. / Responsibility for Academic Standards
2.1 / THE UNIVERSITY shall be responsible on the terms of this agreement for all academic awards granted in its name. The academic standards of such awards made under a collaborative arrangement shall be equivalent to those of comparable awards delivered by THE UNIVERSITY itself.
2.2 / This responsibility is exercised through:
a) THE UNIVERSITY’S quality assurance policies and procedures for institutional approval and review and course validation and review, as set out in THE UNIVERSITY’S Quality Assurance Handbook
b) Validated arrangements for annual academic monitoring in accordance with paragraph seven of this Partnership Agreement;
c) ensuring that [legal name of partner institution] has appropriate policies and procedures for staff development for collaborative courses leading to awards
d) monitoring the qualifications and experience of all staff involved in collaborative courses and the provision of opportunities for staff development
e) approval of admissions requirements and entry criteria
f) the requirement for adherence to assessment regulations and practices as agreed by THE UNIVERSITY and [legal name of partner institution]
g) policies and procedures for the appointment and conduct of external examiners for all validated courses as set out in THE UNIVERSITY’S Quality Assurance Handbook.
2.3 / All reports from external agencies which relate to UNIVERSITY awards and which are received by [legal name of partner institution] are shared at the draft stage with THE UNIVERSITY. Equally THE UNIVERSITY shall share with the [legal name of partner institution] at the draft stage any report which refers to the [legal name of partner institution] either explicitly or implicitly.
2.4 / In the exceptional event that an external review or inspection questions the academic standards of UNIVERSITY awards delivered by [legal name of partner institution], this will be a matter for urgent discussion between the Academic Registrar or nominee at THE UNIVERSITY and the [name of role identified at partner institution to oversee quality assurance] at [legal name of partner institution].
2.5 / [Legal name of partner institution] shall protect and promote the name and reputation of THE UNIVERSITY and shall not do anything to bring the reputation of THE UNIVERSITY into disrepute or do anything which is calculated or reasonably likely to bring the reputation of THE UNIVERSITY into disrepute.
3. /

Institutional Approval and Re-approval

3.1 / THE UNIVERSITY has a mechanism for formally approving all institutions wishing to offer its awards. The procedure for Institutional Approval is documented in Section J of THE UNIVERSITY’s Quality Assurance Handbook. Academic Board has authority to approve the partnership, based on a determination about whether the ethos at [legal name of partner institution] is appropriate to higher education and whether the policies and procedures, as they are practiced, are sufficient to secure the academic standards required for THE UNIVERSITY’s awards.
3.2 / Following initial Institutional Approval, THE UNIVERSITY operates a policy of Institutional Re-approval with partner institutions. The procedure for Institutional Re-approval is documented in Section J of THE UNIVERSITY’s Quality Assurance Handbook. Institutional Re-approval between THE UNIVERSITY and [legal name of partner institution] will be instigated:-
2.2.1 After three years in the first instance, then every five years, or as otherwise stated by the Institutional Approval Panel; and/or
2.2.2 If the AQC Committee, on behalf of the Academic Board, has determined that the nature of operation of the academic partnership has substantially changed since it was established or determines that issues arising from annual institutional monitoring require an Institutional Re-approval Event.
4. / New Course Proposals
4.1 / All new course proposals leading to a UNIVERSITY award should be made formally by [legal name of partner institution] to THE UNIVERSITY in accordance with procedures laid down in THE UNIVERSITY’s Quality Assurance Handbook.
5. / Course Validation
5.1 / Courses leading to a UNIVERSITY award will be considered for validation by a panel formed by the AQC Committee of THE UNIVERSITY in accordance with its quality assurance policies and procedures. Course documentation is released for validation to THE UNIVERSITY’S Registrar & Secretary, or nominee, following scrutiny by the appropriate UNIVERSITY Board of Studies. The validation panel will make a recommendation to the AQC Committee, which will take a final decision on the status of the course. The final decision will be reported to the Heads of both institutions.
6. / Course Review
6.1 / The periodic review of courses covered by this collaborative agreement is the responsibility of the AQC Committee of THE UNIVERSITY which, at intervals of not more than five years, forms a review panel in accordance with its policies and procedures on course review. The review panel makes a recommendation to the AQC Committee, which takes a final decision on the status of the course. The final decision is reported to the Heads of both institutions.
7. / Annual Academic Monitoring
7.1
7.2 / The procedure for annual institutional monitoring is documented in Section J of THE UNIVERSITY’s Quality Assurance Handbook. The Institutional Annual Monitoring Reports are submitted to THE UNIVERSITY’s AQC for consideration. AQC may require an Institutional Re-approval Event to be held or recommend to THE UNIVERSITY’s Academic Board that THE UNIVERSITY should withdraw from the partnership with [Legal name of partner institution]. The Institutional Annual Monitoring report for [Legal name of partner institution] will be considered at the Annual Collaborative Partners meeting held between THE UNIVERSITY and [Legal name of partner institution].
Annual academic monitoring for courses leading to an award of THE UNIVERSITY will be conducted within the timescales determined by THE UNIVERSITY and using the approved template agreed at validation. The template includes the requirement to identify matters for action arising from monitoring or other assessments in an agenda for action that will include a timetable for response and will indicate the responsibility for carrying out the action.
8. / Staff
8.1 / [Legal name of partner institution] shall recruit and pay appropriately qualified academic and support staff to teach the courses, and be responsible for their induction and development.
8.2 / [Legal name of partner institution] will be expected to use an appropriate staff appraisal mechanism and to have in place effective policies for the appointment and continuing professional development of staff involved in collaborative provision.
8.3 / The qualifications and experience of staff involved in delivery of the courses at [legal name of partner institution] will be monitored at the point of validation or review of each course. In the interim, the qualifications and experience of newly appointed staff will be reported at the Annual Collaborative Partners meeting.
8.4 / Where appropriate, THE UNIVERSITY will invite staff from [legal name of partner institution] to participate in any relevant staff development activities THE UNIVERSITY may provide.