Quality Handbook Section 10A - Academic Partnerships - Delivery

1.1 The policy clarifies roles and responsibilities across institutional and School-level governance structures to support effective assurance and decision-making.

1.2 The policy includes governance requirements for:

• Validation Service
• Franchise
• Dual Degree
• Joint/Double Degree
• Joint delivery
• Progression agreements
• Articulation agreements
• Distance delivery
• Higher Nationals delivered under licence from Pearson
• Nottingham Trent International College. (Operational and management requirements can be found in Quality Handbook Supplement PS4)
• Collaborative doctoral awards

1.3 The policy includes operational management and oversight requirements for:

• Validation Service
• Franchise
• Dual Degree
• Joint/Double Degree
• Joint delivery
• Collaborative doctoral awards

1.4 It does not include operational and management oversight requirements for:

• Progression agreements
• Articulation agreements
• Distance delivery
• Higher Nationals delivered under licence from Pearson
• Nottingham Trent International College. (Operational and management requirements can be found in Quality Handbook Supplement PS4)

Further information

• For guidance on the operation and management of these types of partnerships, please speak to Education, Quality and Partnerships (EQP).

2.1 This section provides information on the requirements for:

• Risk management
• Collaborative Academic Leads
• Information for students and partners
• Admissions
• Boards of Examiners
• Certificates and Transcripts

2.2 Academic partnerships are managed according to the Collaborative Operational Document agreed during the approval process.

2.3 Collaborative Operational Documents must be reviewed by the Collaborative Operational Lead (or other suitable nominee) on an annual basis to ensure it remains current and fit for purpose. Any significant changes should be notified to SASQC and AcaPSC.

3.1 Validation Service, Franchise, Dual Degrees, Joint/Double Degrees and joint delivery partnerships must have an up-to-date risk assessment in place to ensure that academic risks are identified and actively managed.

3.2 Articulation, progression and foundation degree progression partnerships do not require a risk assessment.

3.3 Risk assessments are drawn up by the School with support from EQP.

3.4 The risk assessment must remain up to date and is reviewed annually as part of standard monitoring processes. Oversight of risk assessments is the responsibility of SASQC and the Academic Partnerships Sub-Committee (AcaPSC).

3.5 Risk assessments must be reviewed as part of periodic collaborative review.

3.6 Individual risks with a score of 8 or more must be escalated to the Collaborations and Partnerships risk register which is managed by EQP and overseen by AcaPSC on behalf of the Board of Governors.

3.7 The risk register is a record of individual academic risks associated with individual partnerships that have an overall risk score of 8 or more. It is not a record of all risks associated with individual collaborations and partnerships

3.8 Where risk assessment identifies significant risks with a partnership, a mitigation plan is written and a sub-group of AcaPSC established to monitor and manage the risks.

4.1 The Collaborative Academic Lead must meet five core requirements, however the requirements of the role will vary depending on the nature, size and risk of the partnership. The role will be specified through the development and approval process and approved as part of the approval of collaborative arrangements.

Core expectations

4.2 There are six core expectations for the role which the CAL will decide how to prioritise, with input from the link School and partner colleagues, in the context of the collaborative partnership:

1. Manage the ongoing academic relationship with the partner or course team(s), including providing feedback on proposed course changes;
2. Engage in ongoing dialogue with the partner to ensure the health of the partnership is maintained;
3. Oversee the standards and quality of provision provided by the partner, and of the student experience including student engagement (see Appendix 1);
4. Engage in joint staff development activity, or provide staff development for the partner, where appropriate, and signpost to suitable staff development opportunities within NTU or externally;
5. Identify, implement, and support enhancements to the collaboration;
6. Prepare an annual report.

4.3 The annual report must be considered at the relevant course committee and SASQC for SBCP, and the Academic Partnerships Sub-Committee receives an annual overview of SBCP and VS provision reports.  The University Research Degrees Committee (URDC) receives reports for doctoral provision.

Additional expectations for specific appointments

4.4 Where a CAL is appointed to Validation Service provision, the CAL is responsible for liaising with the partner on the nomination of external examiners, using networks to identify suitable nominees where required, and providing advice and guidance on the suitability of nominees prior to submission to the University for approval.

4.5 Where a CAL is appointed to a course with an approved progression route to the University, the CAL is also responsible for implementing the support package agreed between the partner and the link School (details must be set out in the COD).

4.6 In carrying out these responsibilities, a CAL must undertake one or more visits to the partner in each academic year.

6.1 In cases of disagreement between the University and its partners, or if concerns about partner processes are revealed through monitoring or review, the University retains the right to take full operational responsibility for, and to make final decisions on admissions.

Access to student loans

6.2 Access to student loans through NTU for students taught exclusively by the partner are subject to the following requirements being adhered to. These requirements have been introduced to mitigate the risk of fraud and to ensure that the University fulfils its obligations to ensure that all students are, and continue to be eligible to access student loans:

1. NTU will undertake an audit of students’ qualifications upon entry for the first 3 years of the partnership, sample these during PCR and re-introduce annual audits following periods of rapid growth. This will ensure that only students who meet the agreed entry criteria are admitted to the course. Deviations from the entry criteria must be agreed with the University before a student is admitted.
2. Students must demonstrate that they are attending their courses to continue to be eligible for funding. NTU and the partner must determine what attendance means, how it will be monitored, and how NTU will assure itself of attendance.
3. The use of incentives in the recruitment of students is prohibited.

6.3 Approval and review processes will consider the provider’s practices for monitoring recruitment and attendance of students and require evidence to demonstrate how these are applied.

6.4 Contracts will include clauses detailing the partner's responsibilities in this regard and the measures that the University will take if we suspect fraud.