| Description | Minutes, supporting papers and action reports of a committee established in 1998, together with the Research Postgraduate Committee (see UB/COM/104) and the Taught Postgraduate Committee (see UB/COM/105) to approve and advise on research programmes on behalf of the Academic Board of Senate (see UB/COM/60 for minutes of this committee). Volumes of supporting papers and action reports for the Undergraduate Committee have been filed and catalogued separately to the minutes within this series because of their physical size; they largely comprise programme proposal forms submitted to the Committee for approval
The Committee's terms of reference were to scrutinise proposals for the introduction of new undergraduate programmes of study prior to approval by the Academic Board; to monitor periodically the content of established undergraduate programmes of study; to approve new modules and amendments to existing modules for undergraduate programmes of study; to consider any matters relating to academic policy development and implementation relating to undergraduate provision referred to it by the Academic Board; and to take decisions on applications from individual undergraduate students relating to their progress within or despite regulations. The terms of reference were amended in 2001 to take account of the recently established Undergraduate Progress Board which reported periodically to the Committee, which then considered issues arising from the reports. The Progress Board considered only cases where recommendations did not comply with regulations
The terms of reference for 2004-2005 were revised due to changes to the number, function and responsibilities of the Academic Board and its subcommittees and reporting groups. The three main sub-committees of the Academic Board at this time were the Postgraduate Committee, the Undergraduate Committee, and the External and Collaborative Programmes Committee. Other related committees are listed as the Educational Development Committee, the Programme Approval and Review Panel, and the Graduate School Council
Membership consisted of a chair appointed by the Academic Board from among its own members; twelve further members appointed by the Academic Board, of which at least eight should be members of Senate and/or the Academic Board at the time of appointment; two student members nominated by the Guild of Students; and a Secretary.
It was formally appointed by the Academic Board as a Progress Board to determine progress for individual students on undergraduate programmes. Minutes include some reserved business relating to decisions of the Progress Board relating to individual students and special arrangements.
The Committee dealt primarily with programme development and approval, and minutes contain submissions by Departments and Schools for the approval of new programmes of study. The Committee also discussed the modularisation of undergraduate programmes, and received responses from the Schools on this issue.
Minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 1999 discuss points arising from the Academic Audit and include comments on specific recommendations. Minutes of the meeting held on 26 April 1999 include a copy of the report of the Student Induction Working Group. Minutes of the meeting held on 8 November 1999 include a copy of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) consultative paper on higher education qualifications frameworks.
Minutes of the meeting held on 8 May 2000 include a copy of the final text of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Quality Audit Report for the University of Birmingham. Minutes of the meeting held on 30 April 2002 include a copy of the Guild of Students Market Research Unit University of Birmingham Student Withdrawal Review, with sections covering the frequency and reasons for withdrawal from programmes.
Minutes of the meeting held on 28 October 2002 include a copy of the Modules Outside the Main Discipline (MOMD) Interim Report, following a review established by the Undergraduate Committee in Autumn 2001, collating quantitative and qualitative data gathered over the course of the review and identifying issues which need to be addressed . There are further reports on the MOMD including those of the MOMD Working Group with minutes of the meeting held on 17 February 2003. Minutes of meetings held in 2003 discuss plans for the QAA Institutional Audit 2004, and refer to the establishment of an Advisory Group to consider issues relating to undergraduate regulations as they arose, and to report to the Undergraduate Committee.
Minutes of the meeting held on 9 May 2005 include a copy of a draft Code of Practice and Student's Guide relating to Plagiarism
Meetings of the Undergraduate Progress Board were scheduled for 23 June 2005 and 15 September 2005 according to minutes of the meeting of the Undergraduate Committee held on 9 May 2005, but no later records of Undergraduate Committee have been transferred to the University Archives |