Programme development, monitoring and review - introduction
1 INTRODUCTION
References and contact for further information
The following regulations and procedures have been developed with particular regard to the following Themes within the Quality Assurance Agency’s (QAA) Quality Code for Higher Education:
They also reflect the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) Guidance to Higher Education Institutions on Quality for the period 2017-22.
Further information is available from the Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement.
Overview
The regulations and procedures that follow apply to all programmes leading to awards of the University. For information specifically on collaborative programmes leading to a Queen Margaret University award, please visit the Partnership Development pages of the Quality website. Advice on developing collaborative provision is also available from the Partnership Development Team.
Exceptionally, and with the approval of the relevant School Academic Board and Senate, programmes may be developed out with these regulations and procedures. Where relevant Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) are involved, regulations and procedures may be altered to reflect the requirements of those Bodies.
Exceptionally, an individual programme may also be negotiated with a student. This requires the approval of the appropriate School Academic Board.
Staff are encouraged to seek the advice and support of the individuals or groups listed below at the various stages of programme development, modification, monitoring and review.
Within each School:
- Dean of School;
- Head of Division;
- School Manager;
- Other staff with relevant experience of quality assurance and enhancement.
Within Queen Margaret University:
- University Secretary;
- Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement;
- Marketing and Communications (market research);
- Academic Liaison Librarian (early consultation is required to discuss resource needs);
- Recruitment and International Liaison Office (market research; recruitment).
Each School should maintain the following central resources for programme approval, monitoring and review purposes:
- School policies for learning, teaching and assessment;
- Other relevant School level policies, for example related to research or staff development;
- Definitive Programme Documents;
- Programme Specifications;
- Student Handbooks;
- Current module descriptors;
- Up-to-date staff curricula vitae;
- Response to conditions set at previous validation and review events;
- Annual Programme Monitoring Reports;
- External Examiner reports and responses;
- Programme Committee and Student-Staff Consultative Committee minutes.
Each School, working in partnership with the Division of Governance and Quality Enhancement, must ensure that its programmes are developed and reviewed within the University’s regulations and procedures and the requirements of relevant agencies such as the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). In preparing for validation or review events, Programme Teams are expected to take into account the following external reference points, as appropriate:
- The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF);
- The QAA Quality Code for Higher Education [1];
- Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body requirements;
- Subject Benchmark Statements published by the QAA;
- Relevant legislation;
- Government or international reports and publications pertaining to the subject/discipline;
- Good practice guidance published by Advance HE and other external agencies.
- Outputs from current and previous Enhancement Themes.
Internal reference points to be considered include the Student Experience Strategy, Employability Strategy, and QMU Graduate Attributes.
[1]Note that all QMU regulations, policies and procedures are benchmarked against and aligned with the Core and Common Practices contained in the Quality Code.
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Last updated January 2022
