UNIVERSITY of ULSTER Paper No LTC/15/3A)

UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER Paper No LTC/15/3a)

LEARNING AND TEACHING COMMITTEE Agenda Item 6a) 1 April 2015

REPORT FROM THE COURSE APPROVAL SUB-COMMITTEE (4.2.15)

PRESENT

Professor D A McAlister (Chair), Dr M Black, Dr R McAlister, Mr J McCann, Professor A McKillop, Dr T McLernon, Ms U Quinn, Mrs A Scanlon

1 MEMBERSHIP

The Chair of the Sub-Committee welcomed Dr Ruth McAlister and Dr Michaela Black as the new representatives for the Faculties of Social Sciences and Computing and Engineering respectively.

2 COURSE APPROVAL

The Sub-Committee considered business from each Faculty and the Department of Access, Digital and Distributed Learning and noted revisions, the introduction of credit- bearing short courses and withdrawals approved by them as detailed in the appendix.

FACULTY OF ART, DESIGN AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

BSc Hons Architectural Technology and Management

RECEIVED: a request from the Faculty for a one-year extension to the period of approval for BSc Hons Architectural Technology and Management to include the 2016 intake.

NOTED: (a) that the Faculty wished to develop new content for the programme, which could also be delivered as shared modules across provision offered by the Belfast School of Architecture;

(b) that the postponement of the revalidation for one year would align the revalidation of the programme with BA Hons Architecture and MArch Architecture, due for revalidation in 2016/17, and enable the School to investigate the extent of cross-disciplinary teaching for these programmes;

(d) that the programme was validated by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) until 2018.

RECOMMENDED: that the request for a one-year extension to the period of approval, to include the 2016 intake, be approved.

AGREED: that the Faculty consider the implications of the extension for the revalidation of FdSc Architectural Technology with Sustainable Design (Colleges – Network) due in 2015/16.

FACULTY OF ARTS

Revalidation Unit 7D: Creative Media (South West College)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

FdA Digital Arts and Technologies (with CertHE exit award) (FT/PT/PT Fast-track) at South West College (Dungannon, Enniskillen and Omagh campuses) (replacing FdA Creative Media Production).

NOTED: (a) that FdA Performing Arts - Acting, Dance and Production had been withdrawn;

(b) that the Panel had confirmed that the proposed new title was appropriate and reflected the revised content of the programme;

(c) that the initial offer standard was set at 80 UCAS points and graduates of the programme could progress directly into Level 5 of BSc Hons Creative Technologies (FT/PT) (ME), for which an average of 40% in the final level modules of the FdA was required, or BA Hons Media Studies and Production (FT/PT) (CE), for which students would be required to achieve an average of 50% in the final level modules as it had a higher offer standard of 280 UCAS tariff points;

(d) that a part-time fast-track mode had been introduced at this revalidation and that all three modes of delivery would be offered at each campus; the Panel had recommended that a review be undertaken of the programme structures across the three delivery modes in order to achieve greater efficiencies;

(e) that issues raised by students had included access to classrooms and equipment, insufficient experience of practical work prior to placement and problems with group work;

(f) that the Panel had strongly recommended that consideration be given to employing a media technician / learning technologist to help maintain specialised physical resources.

AGREED: that it be recommended to the Learning and Teaching Committee that, subject to the Panel’s condition and recommendations being addressed, FdA Digital Arts and Technologies be approved for a period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes:

20 full-time students on each campus;

2 20 students in total across part-time / part-time fast-track on each campus.

Revalidation Unit 13A: General Humanities (Southern Regional College)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

AB in English and History (with CertHE exit award) (PT) at Southern Regional College (Newry campus).

NOTED: (a) that the majority of students progressed to the final year of the University’s BA Hons English and History delivered at the College by Ulster staff;

(b) that significant changes had been made to the curriculum for revalidation; the Panel had been of the view that the proposed new curriculum appeared to lack the depth and breadth of subject content that would be expected to prepare students for progression to final year of an Honours degree and had raised concern regarding the different credit weightings of modules;

(c) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the curriculum be re-designed to meet History and English subject benchmarks and that the module descriptions be revised to more accurately reflect the content of the programme; the Team was to consult with relevant University subject specialists as part of the re-drafting process;

(d) that investment in library stock would be required for the new curriculum; the Panel had set as a condition of approval that relevant reading material be in place prior to the commencement of the programme in September 2015;

(e) that a positive report had been received from the external examiner in relation to the current programme.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

Approved Maximum Cohort Size:

40 students.

Revalidation Unit 19A: Media Studies (Undergraduate)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

UG Hons Subject: Film Studies (Major/Main/Minor) (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE);

3 BSc Hons Interactive Media (proposed new title and award – previously BA Hons Interactive Media Arts) (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DPP & optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE); UG Hons Subject: Journalism (Major) (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE); UG Hons Media Studies (Major/Main/Minor) (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE); BA Hons Media Studies and Production (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE); UG Hons Photo Imaging (Minor) (with CertHE and AB exit awards and optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (CE).

NOTED: (a) that the Film Studies and Photo Imaging provision would have no further intakes as they were to be withdrawn; the Faculty had, however, wished to proceed with the revalidation of these programmes in order to introduce CertHE and AB exit awards for current students;

(b) that the Panel had recommended consideration be given to developing a Single Honours Journalism programme;

(c) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the bridging arrangements for students progressing to the programmes from colleges and the management and structure of the part-time provision be reviewed;

(d) that students had reported large seminar classes (with 30 – 40 students) in the Media Studies with Photo Imaging provision, which had resulted in high demand for reading material from the library;

(e) that the Panel had recommended a review of online resources to include further investment in e-books;

(f) that Course Directors undertook the role of Adviser of Studies for all students;

(g) that students had reported an imbalance in assessment requirements across modules and a delay in receiving feedback in some cases; the Panel had been of the same view regarding the imbalance in assessment and had set as a condition of approval that a review of the Learning, Teaching and Assessment strategy be undertaken to include the weighting of assessments, the timing of submission deadlines and feedback.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019) and the new title of ‘BSc Hons Interactive Media’ be approved.

AGREED: that the Subject Team be reminded of the University’s Studies Advice System and policy on Small Group Teaching.

4 Revalidation Unit 19B: Media Studies (Postgraduate)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

MA Documentary Practice (with PgCert and PgDip exit awards) (FT/PT) (CE) MA Journalism (with PgDip exit award) (FT) (CE) MA Media Management and Policy (with PgCert and PgDip exit awards) (FT/PT) (BT).

NOTED: (a) that the Panel had been of the view that there appeared to be insufficient coverage of media policy in the Media Management and Policy course and had set as a condition of approval that the award, with its two named strands, ‘Management’ and ‘Policy’ be reviewed to ensure that both aspects were suitably present throughout the programme;

(b) that a perceived lack of meaningful feedback had been raised by students, particularly in relation to the Media Management and Policy programme;

(c) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the curriculum of the Journalism programme be reviewed in order to take cognisance of the latest developments in social media;

(d) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that, for all of the programmes, each module description be reviewed to incorporate appropriate reading lists, content and Master’s-level learning outcomes;

(e) that the Panel had recommended that the overall management of the three programmes be kept under review;

(f) that there was heavy reliance on one member of the teaching team in terms of co-ordinating modules, particularly in relation to the Documentary Practice programme and that the Panel had recommended that the full-time staffing complement be kept under review.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

FACULTY OF COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING

FdSc Computing Infrastructure (with CertHE exit award) (PT Fast-Track) at Belfast Metropolitan College (Castlereagh campus)

RECEIVED: the report of the Evaluation Panel.

NOTED: (a) that this was a bespoke programme for the IT industry which had been introduced at the request of DEL as part of the ICT

5 Apprenticeship Scheme, providing the Higher Education qualification component; entry was restricted to apprentices employed in IT companies participating in the Apprenticeship Scheme;

(b) that the initial offer standard was set at 160 UCAS tariff points and graduates were able to progress to Ulster’s BSc Hons Computing Systems (PT) (JN);

(c) that the Panel had been of the view that the programme appeared to be over-assessed, given that students would be in full-time employment, but the Team had been confident that this was not the case.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a period of four years (intakes 2015 – 2018) and placed in revalidation unit 16G1.

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes:

Year of 1st intake: 16 students Subsequent intakes: 32 students

AGREED: that it was important that the University take the lead in the discussions regarding the development of Apprenticeship programmes and that ADDL should be asked to consider offering a workshop looking at national developments around Higher Apprenticeships.

Revalidation Unit 10A3: Engineering (Postgraduate / JN)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

PgDip Advanced Composites and Polymers (with PgCert Engineering exit award) (FT/PT) MSc Advanced Composites and Polymers (with PgDip and PgCert Engineering exit awards) (FT/PT) PgDip Biomedical Engineering (with PgCert Engineering exit award) (FT/PT) MSc Biomedical Engineering (with PgDip and PgCert Engineering exit awards) (FT/PT) PgDip Manufacturing Management (with PgCert Engineering exit award) (FT/PT) MSc Manufacturing Management (with PgDip and PgCert Engineering exit awards) (FT/PT).

NOTED: (a) that the following courses were to be withdrawn:

PgDip Medical Electronics (with PgCert Engineering exit award) MSc Medical Electronics (with PgCert and PgDip Engineering exit awards) PgDip Nanotechnology (with PgCert Engineering exit award)

6 MSc Nanotechnology (with PgCert and PgDip Engineering exit awards);

(b) that the MSc Advanced Composites and Polymers and MSc Manufacturing Management were part of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) funding scheme set up in 2013 to provide support for students on Engineering Master’s programmes;

(c) that the Manufacturing Management and Advanced Composites and Polymers (full-time and part-time) were accredited to CEng level until 2015 by the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE);

(d) that technical support for the provision was limited which impacted on how much time students could spend in laboratories, although there was a dedicated technical post for the Advanced Composites and Polymers course, as well as a shared post for the other courses forthcoming; the Panel had strongly recommended that the technical support for all of the programmes be kept under review;

(e) that the students had suggested incorporating more laboratory and practical work;

(f) that none of the courses used the class representative system and the Panel had recommended that this be implemented along with a review of induction processes to ensure that all students received consistent and relevant information.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

FACULTY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Revalidation Unit 3A: Biosciences (Undergraduate) including Evaluation of MSci Hons Biological Sciences

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

BSc Hons Biology (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DPP/DPP(I)/DIAS) (FT) (CE); BSc Hons Biotechnology (FT) (CE); BSc Hons Applied Biosciences (PT) (DL)

and Evaluation Panel for:

MSci Hons Biological Sciences (FT) at School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis (IUPUI) (Outcentre).

NOTED: (a) that the optional Agri-Food pathway within BSc Hons Biology had been withdrawn; the Biopharma pathway had been retained but

7 the availability of optional pharmacology modules on this pathway was dependent upon student interest, with a minimum of five students being required for a module to be viable;

(b) that the BSc Hons Biotechnology was primarily for the Hong Kong market and was the preferred articulation pathway for Biotechnology and Science (Biological Science) sub-degree graduates from the Institute of Vocational Education (IVE), Chai Wan and the Hong Kong University School of Professional and Continuing Education (HKU SPACE); entry to the programme was at Level 5 for bridging modules, depending on the sub-degree award, before commencing the compulsory Level 6 modules;

(c) that entry to the BSc Hons Applied Biosciences was usually at Level 6, although some entrants were required to complete two Level 5 bridging modules over seven weeks by distance learning; the programme served home and overseas markets and students were required to be in employment;

(d) that students had reported they would welcome more practical laboratory work and there were plans to provide greater access to online practical demonstrations in future;

(e) that during the final year of the MSci Hons Biological Sciences students would undertake a 12-month internship in a research laboratory at Indiana University’s School of Medicine and five compulsory Level 7 modules online (which comprised more credit points than the typical Integrated Master’s at 180 credit points to reflect three semesters of full-time study); modules were existing modules, with a 75-credit point Medical Research Project linking to the work undertaken as part of the internship;

(f) that there would be no direct entry to the MSci and places would be offered on a performance-related basis to students on BSc Hons Biology, with candidates being required to achieve a minimum of 60% at Level 6; if oversubscribed, candidates would be required to attend a selection interview;

(g) that projected numbers for the MSci were small at two students in 2015/16, rising to four by 2019/20; internships and funding would be offered by IUPUI but the School planned to identify other placement / internship providers by 2019/20, when direct entry would be considered;

(h) that the intention was to seek professional accreditation for the MSci from the Society of Biology in future.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s condition and recommendations being addressed, the existing provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019) and the MSci Hons Biological Sciences be approved for a period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

8 Revalidation Unit 12C: Equine Management (CAFRE)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

FdSc Equine Management (with CertHE exit award) (FT/PT) at CAFRE (Enniskillen) BSc Hons Equine Management (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DPP(I)) (FT) at CAFRE (Enniskillen).

NOTED: (a) that no members of staff were aspiring to HEA fellowship and research was not expected of staff;

(b) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the module reading lists be reviewed to include key peer reviewed journals and other core material;

(c) that the Panel had commended the richness of feedback provided to students but had set as a condition of approval that the assessment strategy be reviewed for both programmes to include the development of a formal feedback policy;

AGREED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes:

FdSc Equine Management

20 full-time students

BSc Hons Equine Management

20 full-time students

(Note: the maximum number of students is set by CAFRE according to available resources and other local criteria.)

Revalidation Unit 22F: Nursing (Undergraduate / Postgraduate)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

BSc Hons Health and Wellbeing (FT/PT) (ME) BSc Hons Health and Wellbeing (PT) (JN) PgDip/MSc Health and Wellbeing (with PgCert exit award) (FT/PT) (JN/ME).

NOTED: (a) that a number of pathways were available within each programme (Generic (non-specialised), Forensic Healthcare, Neurosciences, Case Management, Urology Care, Continence Care, Stoma Care and Diabetes);

9 (b) that a substantial number of places had been commissioned by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and that the availability of pathways in any given year depended upon the number of commissioned places;

(c) that students normally entered the BSc Hons Health and Wellbeing at Level 6, having obtained exemption for Levels 4 and 5 through APCL; these levels were not offered;

(d) that graduates of the FdSc Responding to Alcohol and Drug Misuse and FdSc Holistic and Integrative Health Therapies at North West Regional College were able to progress onto the undergraduate programme;

(e) that the Panel had recommended that the assessment strategy be kept under review to ensure a better balance of assessment workloads and weightings;

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

BSc Hons Sport: Theory and Practice

NOTED: (a) that Chair’s action had been taken on behalf of the Sub- Committee to approve a proposal from the Faculty to change the title of the course back to BSc Hons Sports Studies, with effect from 2015/16; this change in title had also been approved by the Academic Planning Sub-Committee at its meeting on 21 November 2014;

(b) that there had been a decline in applications since the title was changed to ‘Sport: Theory and Practice’, despite considerable marketing activity; with the change in title, applications were up 27% compared to last year;

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Advanced Diploma in Intelligence Management (PT) at Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Lisnasharragh, Belfast

RECEIVED: the report of the Evaluation Panel.

NOTED: (a) that the programme would be delivered over two calendar years (three semesters per year) and would start in February 2015 [Note: this has now been changed to March 2015];

(b) that this was a bespoke programme developed to provide police officers with the skills, knowledge and expertise required to carry out the role of C3 Intelligence Officer; all students would be full-

10 time employees of PSNI, of Constable or Sergeant rank, who had satisfactorily completed a two-year probationary period;

(c) that all assessments were marked on a Pass / Fail basis and each module had to be passed before students could progress to the next module; a case for variation to the University’s regulation permitting automatic progressions between semester 1 and semester 2 had been submitted to the Learning and Teaching Committee and approved by Chair’s action;

(d) that all assessment components had to be passed in order to achieve the award and that the programme incorporated much work-based learning and reflective practice;

(e) that the Panel had recommended that the library resources be kept under review.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a period of three years (intakes 2015, 2016 and 2017).

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes

2015: 66 students over multiple intakes 2016: 66 students over multiple intakes 2017: 68 students over multiple intakes.

AGREED: that the Faculty be commended for working with the PSNI to develop training courses within an academic framework.

Revalidation Unit 9A: Education (PGCE)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

Postgraduate Certificate of Education – Primary (FT) (CE) Postgraduate Certificate of Education – Post Primary (FT) (CE) - Art and Design - English with Drama and Media Studies - Geography - History - Home Economics - Music Education - Physical Education - Technology and Design (including an initial six weeks at the Mountcollyer Technical Resource Centre).

NOTED: (a) that the provision was accredited by the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI), which entitled successful students to seek registration with the GTCNI and practise as teachers;

11 (b) that all assessment was marked on a Pass / Fail basis, but students knew their banding and were not concerned that the award was not graded;

(d) that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the programme learning outcomes be revised to ensure that they more fully reflected the expectations of Level 7;

(e) that the Panel had recommended that the word counts across modules of equal credit value be reviewed to ensure consistency;

(f) that the Panel had recommended that the Course Team reflect on how research-based pedagogy could inform the assessment practices within the curriculum.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Revalidation Unit 9F: Undergraduate Hons Subject: Education (Minor) (with Certificate of Higher Education and Associate Bachelor’s Degree exit awards) (FT) (CE)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel.

NOTED: (a) that there was considered to be an issue around the University’s policy on compulsory placement although it might be expected that Minor students should obtain work experience through their Major subject; the Sub-Committee on Employability was to provide guidance;

(b) that the Panel had recommended that the process for staff / student consultation be formalised;

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s condition and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Revalidation Unit 26M: Restorative Practices

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

Certificate in Restorative Practices (PT) (JN) PgDip/MSc in Restorative Practices (with PgCert exit award) (PT) (JN).

NOTED: (a) that the Panel had expressed concern regarding the small teaching Team which comprised only two full-time members of staff and another recently retired member of staff who continued to teach on the course; the Panel had strongly recommended that

12 the level of staffing resources be kept under review in terms of additional support;

(b) that the Panel had been of the view that consideration should be given to widening the market, which to date had focused on the practitioner;

(c) that Level 4 and 7 students were taught together and the programme learning outcomes for the Level 4 Certificate were the same as those for the Master’s programme; the Panel had asked the Team to ensure that these were revised to distinguish clearly the levels; this issue had also arisen at the original evaluation.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Revalidation Unit 27A: Sociology including Evaluation of BSc Hons Sociology (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (ME)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

UG Hons Subject: Sociology (Single Hons [with CertHE and AB exit awards] / Major / Minor) (with optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (JN) UG Hons Subject: Sociology (Major [with CertHE and AB exit awards] / Minor [with CertHE and AB exit awards]) (with optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (ME)

and Evaluation Panel for:

BSc Hons Sociology (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DIAS) (FT/PT) (ME).

NOTED: (a) that the Panel’s report referred to the Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP) award, but this award was not currently in the Programme Specification for the Jordanstown or Magee provision;

(b) that students had reported variation in the amount of feedback they received on assignments and had stated they would welcome more feedback on examinations; there were opportunities for students to speak to staff after an examination and for students who failed examinations to meet with staff when preparing for resits; the Panel had recommended that the policy on feedback for examinations be clarified to students;

(c) that the Panel had noted inconsistency in the word lengths and weightings for coursework and examination at the Jordanstown campus in particular and had recommended that this be reviewed.

13 BSc Hons Sociology at Magee be approved for a period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

AGREED: that the Team be asked to clarify which provision incorporated the DPP award and, as appropriate, include this in the programme specification.

ULSTER UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

Revalidation Unit 1Aa: Accounting (Undergraduate / JN) including Evaluation of BSc Hons Accounting (Pathways) (Accounting, Forensic Services, Financial Economics, Management Consulting) (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DPP(I) / DIAS) (FT) (JN)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

UG Hons Subject: Accountancy Studies (Minor) (FT) (JN) BSc Hons Accounting and Management (with CertHE in Accounting and AB in Accounting exit awards) (PT) (JN) (replacing BSc Hons Accounting with Finance) BSc Hons Accounting and Law (with DPP(I) / DIAS) (FT) (JN) BSc Hons Finance and Investment Management (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DPP(I) / DIAS) (FT) (JN) (replacing BSc Hons Finance and Investment Analysis) Graduate Diploma in Accounting (FT) (JN)

and Evaluation Panel for:

BSc Hons Accounting (Pathways) (Accounting, Forensic Services, Financial Economics, Management Consulting) (with CertHE and AB exit awards) (with optional DPP(I) / DIAS) (FT) (JN) (replacing BSc Hons Accounting).

NOTED: (a) that all courses provided opportunities to gain exemptions from examinations of professional accountancy body awards;

(b) that following completion of the pilot study, the 25% Level 5 contribution to the final award had been discontinued; students had preferred the Level 5 contribution and the Panel had recommended that the discontinuation be revisited;

(c) that students had raised the issue of some members of staff changing office hours without notice or not permitting students to contact them outside of class;

(d) that the Panel had recommended that the number and weighting of assessments, in particular class tests and examinations be kept under review, as well as feedback arrangements;

(e) that the title of the CertHE and AB exit awards in BSc Hons Accounting and Management were CertHE / AB Accounting and that, as the exit award titles differed from that of the parent course,

14 this would require a case to the Learning and Teaching Committee;

(f) that no exit awards were available on the BSc Hons Accounting and Law programme and the Panel had suggesting consideration be given to an exit award with a different title;

(g) that the Panel had recommended a review of the Law modules within BSc Hons Accounting and Law in order to ensure parity of assessment and weightings across modules;

(h) that the BSc Hons Accounting and Law comprised 130 credit points in Year 1 owing to the inclusion of a 10-point Professional Awareness module; as this was in excess of the normal workload, a case would be required for consideration by the Learning and Teaching Committee.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s condition and recommendations being addressed, the existing provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019) and the BSc Hons Accounting (Pathways) (Accounting, Forensic Services, Financial Economics, Management Consulting) be approved for a period of five years (intakes 2015 – 2019).

AGREED: that the Level 5 contribution should not be revisited at the present time by the Faculty as this matter would be considered at University level in the context of the ongoing national discussion regarding a Grade Point Average scheme.

Revalidation Unit 5E1a: International Business (Postgraduate / ME / DL)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

MSc International Business (with PgCert and PgDip exit awards) (FT/PT at ME) / (FT/PT by DL).

NOTED: (a) that there would be two intakes per year (January and September) to the fully online programme;

(b) that students had stated they would welcome an introductory / refresher session on the use of Blackboard early in the course and the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the induction programme be reviewed;

(c) that students had reported that for some modules they were advised of the assessment requirements and criteria from the start of the module but that in one module the nature of the assessment had subsequently been changed;

(d) that in the Marketing module, which was delivered using block teaching, full-time on-campus students did not meet face-to-face with their lecturer until week 5 of the programme; students had

15 reported that this had prevented them engaging properly during the earlier weeks of the module when they had had to rely on online materials; students had also been of the view that some of the teaching plans on Blackboard appeared to be more geared towards the fully online cohort of students and that they needed to be reviewed for the campus-based students; the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the proposed block teaching approach should be reconsidered pedagogically to ensure that arrangements in place were appropriate for the learning needs of the campus-based students and to ensure an appropriate connection of the face-to-face elements with the online materials; the existing online resources should also be repurposed to support the block delivery and optimised for campus-based students;

(e) that students had reported duplication in the content of modules; the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the content of modules be reviewed to ensure any overlap in the current course was removed from the revised programme;

(f) that students were not aware of the formal mechanisms for raising issues or concerns; that the Panel had set as a condition of approval that the formal staff/student consultation arrangements be made clear to students;

(g) that a further condition of approval was that any impediments to the continuing franchise of the programme to QAHE, particularly in relation to content, organisation, management and assessment, be considered and identified.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Revalidation Unit 5I: Business Development and Innovation

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

MSc Business Development and Innovation (with PgCert and PgDip exit awards) (FT/PT) (JN).

NOTED: (a) that the programme had international links with Harvard Business School through a 30-point Competitiveness module and with Babson College but the cost of visiting these locations was additional to the programme fee;

(b) that a number of modules contained only a single assessment, which students appeared to favour as it provided the opportunity to engage with a deeper and broader assessment;

(c) that the Panel had recommended that the module reading lists be enhanced through the inclusion of teaching staff research papers and published articles;

(d) that the Panel had recommended that opportunities for professional body accreditation be explored.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s condition and recommendations being addressed, the programme be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Revalidation Unit 5Q: Leadership and Management (South Eastern Regional College)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

FdSc Leadership and Management (with CertHE exit award) (FT [new proposal] /PT) at South Eastern Regional College (Bangor campus) FdSc Leadership and Management (with CertHE exit award) (FT) at South Eastern Regional College (Lisburn campus).

NOTED: (a) that the FdSc Leadership and Management (part-time only at the Bangor campus) had first been validated in November 2010 for a January 2011 start when the programme was to be led by South Eastern Regional College with teaching supplemented by external contributors from the other five regional colleges; this programme had however failed to recruit;

(b) that the full-time version of the programme at Lisburn campus had been approved by the Academic Planning Sub-Committee in June 2014 for September 2014 intake only; approval was subject to a review of the proposed bridging arrangements and assessment of the library resources at the Lisburn campus; bridging would now be taken over the summer period instead of part-time over two semesters and confirmation had been received that the library resources were satisfactory, although the Revalidation Panel had set as a condition of approval that written confirmation be provided by the Director of the College that all outstanding library materials were in place prior to the commencement of the programme; the programme was delivered using a traditional face-to-face model with online support;

(c) that, at the revalidation, a proposal had been brought forward for the extension of the full-time programme to the Bangor campus and the delivery model of the existing part-time provision at Bangor to be changed to traditional face-to-face delivery with online support and no longer as part of a consortium;

(d) that the initial offer standard was set at 180 UCAS points; graduates could progress directly to Level 6 of BSc Hons Management and Leadership Development (FT) or BSc Hons Business Studies (Management and Leadership) (PT) upon achievement of an average mark of 50% in the final level modules of the FdSc and completion of two 20-point bridging modules taken during the summer following graduation; progression to the

17 full-time Management and Leadership programme was restricted to the top eight students; (e) that the College was to withdraw its existing BA Hons Business Studies offered in conjunction with Liverpool John Moores University on its Bangor and Lisburn campuses to free up resources for the FdSc Leadership and Management provision;

(f) that the Panel had suggested revising the sequencing of modules in the part-time structure to facilitate part-time and full-time students being taught together, where internal coherence and academic progression allowed;

(g) that the Panel had also recommended that consideration be given to the introduction of more assessment by group work;

(h) that the curriculum had been mapped closely to national occupational standards and students had the opportunity to achieve additional Chartered Management Institute (CMI) awards.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes

20 full-time students at each campus 20 part-time students at the Bangor campus.

Revalidation Unit 15C: Hospitality (Colleges)

RECEIVED: the report of the Revalidation Panel for:

FdSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management [previously FdSc Hospitality and Tourism Management] (with CertHE exit award) (FT/PT) at North West Regional College (Derry/L’Derry campus) and Southern Regional College (Newry campus) and South West College (Enniskillen campus)

FdSc International Travel and Tourism Management [previously FdSc Travel and Tourism Management] (with CertHE exit award) (FT/PT) at North West Regional College (Derry/L’Derry campus) and Southern Regional College (Newry campus) and South West College (Enniskillen campus).

NOTED: (a) that Belfast Metropolitan College had previously been part of the network but had recently withdrawn;

(b) that the initial offer standard was set at 180 UCAS points; students undertook bridging modules during the summer before progressing to final year of the BSc Hons International Hospitality Management or BSc Hons International Travel and Tourism

18 Management; the Ulster Business School required students to have undertaken a placement of 25 weeks’ duration;

(c) that the Panel had also recommended that consideration be given to introducing a language option within the programmes in view of the inclusion of ‘international’ in the titles; the inclusion of a language option had also been suggested by students;

(d) that the Panel had recommended that the content of the two programmes be reviewed to ensure they reflect the ‘international’ element in the titles and that this be made explicit in the reading lists and had set as a condition of approval that Level 5 of both programmes be reviewed in order to differentiate more clearly the two programmes;

(e) that another condition of approval was that Levels 4 and 5 of both programmes be revisited to ensure progression and that all of the programme learning outcomes were not met by the Level 4 modules.

RECOMMENDED: that, subject to the Panel’s conditions and recommendations being addressed, the provision, with titles ‘FdSc International Hospitality and Tourism Management’ and ‘FdSc International Travel and Tourism Management’, be approved for a further period of five years (intakes 2015 - 2019).

Approved Maximum Cohort Sizes

15 full-time students at each campus for each course 15 part-time students at each campus for each course.

FdSc Hospitality and Tourism Management and FdSc Travel and Tourism Management at Belfast Metropolitan College

RECEIVED: a request from the Faculty for a one-year extension to the period of approval for FdSc Hospitality and Tourism and FdSc Travel and Tourism at Belfast Metropolitan College to include the September 2015 intake.

NOTED: (a) that the programmes had been delivered as part of the network which underwent revalidation in December 2014 but that Belfast Metropolitan College had decided not to continue in the network as it was unable to reach agreement in terms of course content and structure;

(b) that the College wished to withdraw from the network with effect from 2015/16 and had requested a one-year extension to the period of approval to enable the development of a curriculum in line with employer feedback and to align the provision with the College’s FdSc Events Management for the Tourism Industry;

(d) that the programmes were recruiting well and the Subject Partnership Manager had reported that the quality of delivery at the College remained sound.

RECOMMENDED: that the request for a one-year extension to the period of approval be approved, to include the September 2015 intake.

AGREED: that the same external examiner could continue for the provision but that he/she should be informed that the College was no longer part of the network.

3 ACADEMIC PLANNING, PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE BUSINESS

RECEIVED: a report of new proposals and other relevant business considered by the Academic Planning Sub-Committee at its meetings on 10 October 2014 and 21 November 2014 and by Chair’s action.

NOTED: that one new proposal had been approved to proceed to planning and evaluation for a September 2014 start; one for a February 2015 start; seven for a September 2015 start and one for a September 2016 start.

4 SUBMISSION OF FINAL DOCUMENTS

RECEIVED: a statement on the submission of outstanding final documents from 2013/14 and 2014/15.

NOTED: (a) that for 2013/14, four documents were with the Chairs of Panels for approval, one document was being checked by the Academic Office and three documents required further revisions / hard copies;

(b) that for 2014/15, one document was being checked by the Academic Office, five documents were past their deadline, 18 documents were not yet due and 21 events were still to be held.

5 ENROLMENTS ON NEW PROGRAMMES VALIDATED IN 2013/14

RECEIVED: a statement of enrolments on new programmes validated in 2013/14.

NOTED: that some faculties/colleges had made good judgments on anticipated intakes, while other courses had failed to recruit.

AGREED: (i) that faculties be encouraged to make realistic assessments in CA1 / CA2 forms;

(ii) that the statement of enrolments be considered by faculty committees.

20 6 REVALIDATION SCHEDULE 2015/15

RECEIVED: the revalidation schedule for 2015/16.

NOTED: that the current schedule identified 29 events with 76 courses to be revalidated during 2015/16.

7 REVIEW OF REVALIDATION UNITS

RECEIVED: a review of the number and composition of revalidation units and sub- units.

NOTED: (a) that, since the last review in 2006, the number of revalidation sub- units had increased from 125 to 186;

(b) that, at its meeting in May 2014, the Sub-Committee had agreed that the Academic Office liaise with faculties in a further review of the number and composition of revalidation units and sub-units;

(c) that faculties had been asked to consider how the large number of single course sub-units might be reduced and had proposed the following:

Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment

No response received.

Faculty of Arts

Current arrangements considered to be appropriate.

Faculty of Computing and Engineering

Proposal to merge four units into two: 16A1/16A2; 30E/16G1

Faculty of Life and Health Sciences

Proposal to merge three units into one: 28Ha/28Hb/28Hc

Faculty of Social Sciences

Proposal to merge 18 units into six: 9E1 moving to Faculty of Life and Health Sciences; 9A/9H/9I; 18C/18D/18E; 26A/26B1/26B2/26M; 26C1a/26C1b/26C2/26E; 26K/26L

Ulster University Business School

Proposal to merge 20 units into 10: 1Ab/5E1b; 1Ac/5D; 1B/5E3; 5A1b/5B1b; 5E2/5A1; 5C2/5La; 5I/5B1a; 5O/5M; 5C3a/5B4; 5F2/5C1;

21 (d) that unit 9E1 would no longer be transferring to the Faculty of Life and Health Sciences;

(e) that the proposals would result in an overall reduction of 26 units, leaving a total of 160 units.

AGREED: (i) that the proposals be endorsed;

(ii) that the Academic Office liaise with faculties to ensure that any necessary requests for extensions to the period of approval are forwarded to the Sub-Committee for consideration.

22 UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER APPENDIX

COURSE APPROVAL SUB-COMMITTEE

4 February 2014

ACCESS, DIGITAL AND DISTRIBUTED LEARNING

Course Revision

PgCert in Professional Practice To change the assessment requirements in FCE501.

Introduction of Credit-bearing Short Courses

Stand-alone Short Courses To introduce the following stand-alone short courses: ‘Introduction to Programming with Drones’ at Level 4 (5 credit points); ‘Introduction to Programming with RaspberryPi’ at Level 4 (5 credit points); ‘Introduction to Programming with Lego Mindstorms’ at Level 4 (5 credit points).

FACULTY OF ART, DESIGN AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Course Revision

BEng Hons Energy and Building Services Engineering To introduce a new module, ENE513, ‘Green Buildings’; To withdraw module CIV513.

Course Withdrawal

FdA Graphic Communication at Belfast Metropolitan College (Castlereagh campus) [Last intake: 2012/13].

FACULTY OF ARTS

Introduction of Credit-bearing Short Courses

Postgraduate Certificate of Professional Development To introduce within the framework a 10-point, Level 7 module, ‘Creative Leadership’.

Course Withdrawals

Diploma in Chinese (BT/CE) [Last intake: 2011/12]; FdA Performing Arts – Acting, Dance and Production at South West College (Cookstown campus) [Last intake: 2011/12]; AB English and History at Southern Regional College (Armagh and Portadown campuses only) [no intake]; MA in Professional Translation (CE) [Last intake: 2012/13].

23 FACULTY OF COMPUTING AND ENGINEERING

Course Revisions

BSc Hons Information Technology; BSc Hons Business Information Systems To revise content and hours in module COM336;

BSc Hons Interactive Multimedia Design To revise the assessment strategy in modules COM553 and COM559.

Introduction of Credit-bearing Short Courses

Stand-alone Short Courses To introduce the following stand-alone short courses: ‘Space Science and IT: Space Camp’ at Level 3 (5 credit points); ‘Introduction to Visual Computer Programming’ at Level 3 (5 credit points); ‘Practising their Craft in Extra-curricular Projects’ at Level 3 (5 credit points); ‘Transition to University’ at Level 3 (5 credit points); ‘Space Science and IT: Distant Light in the Universe’ at Level 4 (5 credit points); ‘Space Science and IT: Mapping with GIS’ at Level 4 (5 credit points).

Course Withdrawals

FdEng Engineering Management at Belfast Metropolitan College [no intake]; FdEng Manufacturing at Belfast Metropolitan College [no intake]; BSc Hons Sports Technology (JN) [Last intake: 2014/15]; MSc Professional Practice (and modules MEC870 and MEC871) (JN) (Last intake: 2014/15].

FACULTY OF LIFE AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Course Revisions

BSc Hons Nursing (Adult); BSc Hons Developing Practice in Health Care To revise the assessment in modules NUS536 and NUS542 to 100% examination;

BSc Hons Physical Activity, Exercise and Health; To increase the lecture hours in module SLS174.

Introduction of Credit-bearing Short Courses

Certificate of Personal and Professional Development To introduce within the framework a 5-point, Level 3 module, ‘Introduction to Sport Psychology and Personal Performance’; To introduce within the framework a 10-point, Level 4 module, ‘Coping with University Life Using Mindfulness and Sensory Strategies’;

Stand-alone Short Course To introduce a 20-point, Level 6 module, ‘Minor Illness Management’.

24 Course Withdrawals

FdSc Equine Management (Part-time mode only to be withdrawn) at CAFRE (Enniskillen campus) [no current intake]; FdSc and CertHE in Rural and Countryside Management at CAFRE (Greenmount campus) [Last intake: 2013/14].

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Course Revisions

Undergraduate Hons Subject: Criminology To correct the credit points for module PUP322.

Undergraduate Hons Subject: Criminology; BSc Hons Criminology and Criminal Justice To introduce an optional year of study abroad leading to the award of Diploma in International Academic Studies and a specific 120-point module, PUP322;

Undergraduate Hons Subject: Language and Linguistics To replace module CMM317 with a new module, CMM356, ‘Investigating Language through Sound’;

Undergraduate Hons Subject: Law (Magee) To replace LAW144 with a new module LAW145, ‘Administrative Law in Practice’; To revise the assessment strategy in module LAW132.

Course Withdrawals

Access Diploma in Adult Learning (Business and IT Pathways only] at Southern Regional College (Newry, Portadown, Armagh and Brownlow) [Last intake: 2013/14]; Access Diploma in Humanities at Northern Regional College (Coleraine, Magherafelt, Newtownabbey and Trostan campuses) [Last intake: 2015/16]; Access Diploma in Social Sciences at Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (PRRT, Maryfield) [Last intake: 2013/14]; PgDip/MEd with specialisms at Athlone Education Centre (Outcentre) [7410] and Monaghan Education Centre (Outcentre) [7411] [Note: withdrawal of surplus course codes 7410 and 7411 only] [no intake].

ULSTER UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL

Course Revisions

FdSc Marketing at Belfast Metropolitan College To revise the assessment strategy in module MKT321 to 100% coursework;

BSc Hons International Hospitality Management; BSc Hons Culinary Arts Management To revise module HTM159, ‘Academic and Professional Skills’.

25 MSc Management; MSc Sport Management; MSc Management in Creative Industries To replace the class test in module BMG798 with a written examination.

Introduction of Credit-bearing Short Courses

Postgraduate Certificate of Professional Development To add to the framework module MKT716, ‘Digitising Marketing’; To introduce within the framework a 10-point, Level 7 module, ‘Financial Regulation’.

Course Withdrawals

BSc Hons Business (2710 – replaced by Business Management) (CE) [Last intake: 2009/10]; MSc International Hotel and Tourism Management (BT) [Last intake: 2014/15].